So Close, Yet Still Far
by flyingheartsandmelodies
Summary: Rika agreed to a secret deal with Henry but she left him without explaining why. Then she meets him again and finally realizes that the deal made her heart and life upside down.
1. Not Expecting You

**Author's Note: **Hi! I'm back to writing again. Sorry if I had been on hiatus for a while but I promise that I'll update especially on this one. Please read and leave a review. Thanks a lot! :D

* * *

**Chapter 1: Not Expecting You**

It was a hot Monday morning for Rika. Despite the pleasure she should feel, she was now rushing towards her office. Her long hair was tied into a ponytail but her bangs had been damp already because she had been sweating while running. She was also wearing a white long-sleeved blouse that extended to her elbows, a black skirt along with a pair of black flat shoes and she was certainly late for work today because she met traffic on the way.

_Oh great! I'm so late! And today's Monday! For sure, I'd get a blab from Takara! _Rika thought nervously. _Of all the supervisors I could ever have, why would it be her?! I'll be lucky if I don't receive a single word from her especially today!_

Unfortunately, Rika arrived in the office a minute passed after nine. Rika already knew that she was definitely in for a punishment.

_Arrgggghhhhh! Someday, I'll buy my own car so I won't be late like today! _Rika thought miserably as she fixed her face and bangs.

"You're late, Rika!" a male employee named Masato said. He had been hitting on Rika for the past few months already.

"Sorry, Masato. I got caught up in the traffic…" Rika explained.

Masato was working in the same department as Rika. He also belonged in the financing department but he was under a different team.

"Oh… Is that so? Anyway, I was wondering if we could go out later tonight, Rika…" Masato offered.

"I can't… I have to go home early…" Rika said, dully. _For the nth time, I have been using this excuse. Good thing he didn't catch on!_

"Come on, Rika… I only ask you sometimes!" Masato insisted.

Rika raised an eyebrow. _Sometimes? He always asks me almost every day! _She thought. _When will he stop?_

In Rika's opinion, Masato was somehow handsome, kind and patient. But for Rika, nothing looked better than her "ex-husband" Henry, as far as she hated to admit.

_Sorry, Masato but I really can't allow you… I don't want you to hope for nothing… _Rika thought. "I'm sorry but I'm really not available today… Maybe next time will do…"

"Okay!" Masato said cheerfully and left for his worktable.

Rika shook her head, sat down and turned the computer on. She began to scan for some probable things to do.

"Hey, Rika! Have you heard the news?" a girl named Aimi Natsuke said to Rika.

"What news?" Rika asked, taken aback.

"You haven't heard that this company has a new owner?" Aimi asked, surprised because Rika seemed to know nothing at all.

"Yeah, I heard…" Rika said dully.

"And Sir Henry will be visiting the departments today!" Aimi continued. "Isn't that exciting?!"

Rika flinched at the mention of Henry. Her eyes even grew wider at the thought of him being her employer. She began to cough violently.

"What?! Sir Henry?!" Rika asked, very much surprised.

"Yeah!" Aimi answered.

Rika turned pale. _Henry?! My boss?! What on earth?! How could this be possible?! And how come he had the ability to buy this company?_

Aimi sensed that Rika did not speak after she said the new employer's last name. "Uh… Rika? You okay?" she asked.

"Uh… Yeah… Why?" Rika said to Aimi after recovering from her own shock.

"You seemed to be quiet after hearing his name. Well, anyway, as I was saying, he's kinda handsome and charming! Oh, how I wish he could ask me out someday!" Aimi said dreamily.

"You're such a baka, Natsuke. He must be married! How old was he anyway?" Rika protested, but she chuckled because she almost spilled Henry's secret.

"Oh no, Rika! He's only twenty-five!" Aimi corrected.

"Really?" Rika replied deviously.

"Yeah! I'm right! If you drooled over our boss, you owe me a yen, Rika!" Aimi smirked.

"Baka!" Rika answered back.

Aimi then shrugged and returned to her own worktable. Just as Rika was about to begin, Rika heard Miss Matsumoto speak up.

"Girls, the new owner will drop by here. Fix everything before he arrives. We need everything to be spic-and-span!" Miss Takara Matsumoto instructed with a slight glare.

"Yes, Ma'am!" Rika and the other ladies said in unison.

"And you, Rika…" Miss Matsumoto said to Rika sternly. "You're late again. This is the second time you've been late for work! You have to straighten your attendance in order for you to continue working here!"

"Yes, Ma'am… It won't happen again…" Rika said politely but it was definitely for show. _Bitch._

"Just make sure IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN, Rika!" Miss Matsumoto continued before returning to her workplace.

_Just make sure it won't happen again, Rika! _Rika repeated in her mind. _Look who's talking here, Takara! You're the one who's been setting the GOOD example! Being punctual, huh?_

Two hours had passed before the boss arrived. He went through the offices which were located in the first and second floors. Rika's office was located in the third floor.

"Girls, Sir Henry's already here. Observe proper manners, okay?" Miss Matsumoto said.

"Yes, Ma'am…" Rika and the other girls said in a monotonic voice.

"Why the hell are you answering like that? But please, if Sir Henry talks to you, use a more sensible tone in talking, alright?" Miss Matsumoto scolded the girls.

Rika was already desensitized to Miss Matsumoto's scolding. But inside her mind was the possibility of her being Henry's so-called slave inside the company.

_Will he fire us one by one if we had a cold and we used that voice? Anyway, that little Miss Perfect knows how to act surly when not in front of the division heads!_

The new boss spent a few moments in the other room first where the other team worked. That was also the place where Masato belonged.

Eventually, the new boss or also known as Henry Wong entered the territory where Rika belonged.

"Good morning…" Henry greeted.

Henry was wearing a formal attire that was composed of a black coat and tie as well as a pair of slacks. His midnight blue hair was slightly laid to the side and his grey eyes were somehow sparkling and it tantalized almost all of the ladies inside the room.

"Good morning…" the employees returned.

Rika saw Aimi who got struck by Henry. Aimi's table was facing the door so she immediately can see who was going in and out of the office. While Rika's table was facing away from the door so she did not see who was coming.

She could also see that her supervisor, Miss Matsumoto, did not utter a word. The latter had a poker face and Rika could not help but laugh at Miss Matsumoto's appearance.

While Rika took a closer look, Rika's right hand slowly made its way to her face. She could not believe that this was indeed happening.

_Oh my gosh. I don't know what to do! Rika, this is just a dream! THIS IS JUST A DREAM! _Rika thought as her mind mentally panicked as she saw the one she considered as her "ex-husband".

Rika confirmed that it was definitely not a dream when she heard Henry speak up.

"Hi! Who's the supervisor here?" she heard him ask.

_Oh well… It's just reality… _Rika concluded.

Then Rika saw Miss Matsumoto approached Henry and introduced herself.

"Ah… I'm the supervisor, Sir Henry. I'm Miss Takara Matsumoto!" the supervisor replied, who also emphasized the word "Miss" and extended her right hand.

_How foolish of my superior to flirt with Henry! She's even older than him! What a real flirt! _Rika thought.

Rika's trail of thoughts was broken when she heard Henry speak up again.

"Hi, Miss Matsumoto! I can see that you only have three staff here…" Henry said as he finished shaking the hand of Miss Matsumoto.

"Just call me Takara, Sir…" Miss Matsumoto said dreamily. "Yes, Sir. I only have three staff because we're only doing the records of finances. It's not that hard unlike in the Posting Team."

"Alright. If that's the case, I'd better get going. I just want to know my employees since I just purchased the company…" Henry replied plainly.

"By the way, welcome to the company, Sir!" Miss Matsumoto added.

Rika could sense a feeling of longing coming from Henry's eyes but she shrugged off the thought. She could see Henry turning away from them and she gave a sigh of relief after that.

When he was completely out of sight, Aimi began screaming giddily.

"Oh my gosh! He's so handsome!" Aimi said to Rika.

"I know right, sister! Hey, Rika! Why did you become so quiet all of a sudden? Were you struck by Sir Henry too?" Sakura Yamamoto, Rika's other teammate, said. She noticed that Rika did not speak after Aimi began.

"Okay! Rika owes me a yen!" Aimi chuckled.

"Why? Is he handsome? He looks only neat to suit me!" Rika answered nonchalantly.

"Rika, you're such a tomboy! Don't tell me that you're not struck by that handsome young man!" Sakura chided.

_I'm not really struck. It's really a small world after all… _Rika thought. _And until now, I can't believe that my boss is my estranged husband!_

"Alright! Let's return to work! We'll probably not earn a thing even our boss is as handsome as what you think!" Miss Matsumoto replied. "But he's handsome, isn't he?"

_What are these girls? Thinking that the one they're talking about is as handsome as a god! But actually, he did look more handsome and he definitely changed a lot today._

Because of that, Rika searched for the picture of her and Henry in her wallet after seeing him earlier. The picture was taken during her "wedding" with him. She remembered the event that changed her life almost three years ago.

_Well, how did everything began? Actually, Henry and I used to be friends. But that changed when he made me as his wife so that he could get the inheritance he had been waiting from his family._

She looked at the image of Henry intently. For her, Henry changed a lot. But she still continued her reminiscing.

_Henry was also holding a part of the Wong family business at that time but it did not belong to him totally. There was a condition that in order for Henry to acquire everything, he would have to marry someone. But that someone happened to be me and that marriage was only a ploy for his family._

After that, Rika decided to keep the picture back into her wallet. It was the only proof of her current secret so she tried her best to hide it.

_Also that time, according to Mr. Wong, everything will be put to charity if Henry doesn't get married. __So in order to save his family business, he married me. Well, I didn't take the marriage seriously because we also had an agreement. NO STRINGS ATTACHED. Meaning, no one will fall in love at the course of the marriage._

Rika's thoughts were badly ruined by Miss Matsumoto.

"Rika, can you please bring this to Mika so these papers will be sent to Sir Henry?" Miss Matsumoto instructed.

_My thoughts are now at great timing! All about Henry! Well at least I won't be the one to send this to Henry! _Rika thought sarcastically. "Okay. Let me have them!" she said.

Miss Matsumoto placed a folder of papers on Rika's desk. Rika's eyes only went wide at what happened.

"Make sure that these papers will reach Sir Henry, okay?" Miss Matsumoto insisted firmly.

"Okay okay! No need to repeat everything!" Rika said and eventually stood up from her chair and whispered. "Bitch…"

With that, Rika brought the folder to the office of Henry which was located at the fifth floor.

_How stupid of me to accept it. Now I can't even think of everything right because Henry and I are now working at the same roof! _Rika thought again.

Rika's thoughts were running already far away when she heard the elevator sound. She grunted and slowly made her way towards the office of her "ex-husband", as she proudly calls. But she had to pass through Mika's desk in order for the papers to get signed.

When Rika reached Mika's desk, she found the woman talking to someone on the phone.

"Hey, Mika! These papers are needed to be sent to Henry!" Rika said. "It's from the Financing Department…"

"Oh… I'm sorry but I'm on an urgent phone call right now. Why don't you bring them to Sir Henry? Hope you won't mind!" Mika said. "Anyway, I already phoned the boss after Miss Matsumoto said that she will send some papers that needed his signature…"

Though she was thankful that Miss Matsumoto informed Mika about her sending some documents, Rika became aghast. She would bring it to Henry's office?!

_What the hell? Maybe fate is setting me up to really meet Henry! I just hope nothing happens here! _Rika thought.

When Mika looked at Rika, she was startled.

"Are you okay, Rika?" Mika said, noticing that Rika looked at somewhere else.

"Yeah! I'm fine… Just had lack of sleep…" Rika lied.

"Okay… Anyway, all you have to do is to drop the papers and you can go…" Mika instructed.

Rika was holding the folder but she was already developing some complicated thoughts in her head.

_Oh man. I'm so unlucky today! First, I was late. And second, I'm really going to face him! Aaargh! I wonder what he'll say to me if he asks me about the past. Hmmph! Stop yourself, Nonaka! Just play cool! _Rika thought to herself.

When Rika was on her way, she saw Henry's office which was white and had only the necessary things. She was aghast when she saw his name plate that stood on the top of his desk.

**Henry Wong  
President**

_He's indeed my boss… _Rika concluded. _And it hurts!_

She saw Henry somehow typing some reports in his laptop. Rika then mentally slapped herself because she had to use her polite mode when talking to her superiors. Henry was very busy and that was the reason why he did not feel Rika's presence.

_Oh well. Here goes nothing! _Rika thought. "Uhm… Sir Henry? Where am I going to place these papers?" she eventually asked.

Henry was surprised and looked at Rika intently. Rika could sense the shock that Henry felt because she was sure that he did not expect her to bring the files to him.

"Just put them over there…" Henry said to Rika, pointing a vacant space that was near a bookshelf.

When Rika placed the papers on the vacant space, she felt a need to talk to him. But her mind was quarreling over the other part so she stalled in front of Henry's desk.

Henry felt Rika did not leave yet. He then looked at her sternly.

"Do you need anything, Miss Nonaka?" Henry asked sternly, emphasizing Rika's maiden name.

Rika was speechless for a moment. She was actually a bit surprised at Henry's tone as well as his emphasizing her maiden name earlier. She did not move further because of that.

"Hey, you need anything?!" Henry asked again after he saw Rika stalled in front of him.

"No, Sir. Thank you, Sir… I'm going to leave now…" Rika said. _Okay, Nonaka. You did your part and now you can go!_

Rika then opened the door and went outside as quietly as she can. She walked as fast as she can so that she would forget that she went inside Henry's office and mumbled a couple of words to each other.

_I'm so glad he didn't care to lift the past between us! I don't even know what to answer if that happens! _Rika thought. _But the Miss Nonaka thing? Wonder what's on his mind right now!_

Meanwhile, back in Henry's office, Henry began to ponder on what happened in his office a while ago.

_Funny because after almost three years, you finally met up with the one who broke your heart, Henry! I still can't forgive her for leaving me… But, today she still looked beautiful._

With that, Henry's eyes diverted to his picture frame. It was the picture where he and Rika made the biggest lie they could have possibly done: their "wedding".

_I wonder how she is right now. She still looks fine. The company had been giving her a high salary… __Where could she be living right now? Aww. What the heck? Why am I thinking of her? Well, Henry, that's because you're in love with her… Nice job of breaking the rule, Henry… No strings attached. But that was almost three years ago._

Henry realized that almost three years had passed since he and Rika made that show for his parents. With that, he returned to his work but his focus was still about Rika.

_But almost three years had made a difference for us, Rika. I just hope that things will still be the same for us, even if we're only married by law and papers. __Wait a minute, what if… Hmm…_

Henry suddenly had an idea. In order to get Rika's identity inside his new firm, he decided to call the ones who held the records of the past and present employees.

"Hello? Miss Etsuko? Do you have the records of a certain Rika Nonaka who works here in our firm?!" Henry called.

"I'll try and check, Mr. Wong!" the woman in the other line replied.

"Please do so!" Henry instructed. "If you found anything, just please let me know…"

Henry was still preoccupied with Rika. After all, she was his "wife" and they will be already reaching their third anniversary soon.

After a few minutes, the one Henry phoned earlier called.

"Sir, we don't have a Rika Nonaka here…" Etsuko replied. "Are you sure she's working here?"

"Hmm…" Henry contemplated. _If Rika didn't use her maiden name, what did she use?_

"Sir? Are you still there?" the caller asked, sensing that Henry did not speak for almost two minutes.

"Yeah… I'm still here… Uh… Why don't you check a Rika Wong here?" Henry asked, taking the possibility that Rika used his last name.

"Okay, Sir!" the caller said.

Then the caller went off for several minutes. Henry scratched his head while waiting.

"Sir…" the caller returned. "We have here a Rika Wong who's currently under the supervision of Takara Matsumoto…"

"Okay then… Can you bring her records to me immediately?" Henry added.

"Yes, Sir…" the caller said. "I'll have it sent right away!"

"Thank you!" Henry said good-naturedly.

After Henry dropped the phone, he began chuckling to himself.

_Rika Wong… You're still definitely my wife… And that's funny because you're also my subordinate! _he thought.

A couple of minutes later, Henry's secretary came inside the door.

"Sir Henry?" the secretary said and handed Rika's documents to Henry. "Here are the documents of Rika Wong that you requested from Miss Etsuko…"

"Thank you, Mika!" Henry said after reaching for them.

"Do you need anything more, Sir?" Mika asked.

"No, no, I'm fine. Thank you…" Henry said pleasantly. "You may now go…"

Meanwhile, as Rika was approaching her table, she met Miss Matsumoto who was almost fuming in anger because Rika just showed up.

"What took you so long, Rika?!" Miss Matsumoto asked Rika.

"Uh… I was the one who brought in the files to Sir Henry…" Rika explained.

When Miss Matsumoto heard Henry's name, her eyes began to twinkle.

"Is that so?" Miss Matsumoto asked flirtatiously.

_Why are you acting like a teenager, Ma'am Matsumoto? _Rika thought dryly. "Yeah, it was…"

Rika eventually returned to her worktable. But she found herself unable to concentrate because of what occurred inside Henry's office earlier.

_I'm so glad that this job is not rushed. It can last even tomorrow! Aaarrrgh! I can't even focus because of him! My job's the one which'll be affected here! _Rika thought.

After an hour, Rika only finished one-fourth of her task. It was a good thing that her supervisor was not roaming around to see if she finished already.

_What a productive day, Rika Nonaka! _Rika thought as she placed her head on her desk. _Now you can't even think right!_

Rika eventually fixed her things and settled for leaving her office.

_Uhhhh! Finally, I can go home! I need to talk to Jeri! I wish she's already there… _Rika thought._  
_

Rika then hailed a taxi and got inside it. She eventually started her journey home.


	2. Rika's Dilemma

**Author's Note: **Thank you for the favorites, follows and some reviews. I'm really thankful for your supports.

Also, I don't own digimon. Okay? Please read and leave a review. Thanks a lot! :D

* * *

**Chapter 2: Rika's Dilemma**

After traveling around Shinjuku by a taxi, Rika finally arrived at her condominium at five in the afternoon. She was actually sharing it with her best friend Jeri. It was located near her and Jeri's workplace so she only spent almost an hour worth of the commute. She could also see that the sun was still up when she arrived.

_I wonder if Jeri arrived already. I really need to tell her something about today! _Rika thought as she rode the elevator.

When Rika reached her room that was located on the tenth floor, she found Jeri lying on the couch and somehow sleeping.

"Jeri!" Rika called out.

Jeri was shocked while lying on the couch. Her eyes looked very tired and she was not even changing her clothes when she woke up.

"Where? Where? Let's go!" Jeri exclaimed frantically.

Rika was dumbfounded with Jeri's actions. _Huh? Why's she like that?_

"What?!" Rika asked curiously. "What the hell are you saying?"

Jeri looked at Rika seriously as if she was demanding for an explanation.

"Nothing! I just called you, silly!" Rika said, laughing.

Jeri narrowed her eyes to Rika.

"You baka! You made me nervous there!" she said. "Besides, you really disturbed my beauty sleep, you know?"

"Oh. Sorry about that, Jeri! I'm just going to tell you a story… You won't even believe it!" Rika said, remembering that her mission for now was to explain what occurred in Henry's firm earlier.

"If I won't believe it, why are you even bothering to tell me anyway?" Jeri said jokingly.

"You'll hear it soon, Jeri…" Rika explained. "But please no unnecessary remarks, will you?"

Jeri raised her right hand as a sign of promise to Rika.

"What is it, anyway?" Jeri asked. "And start from the beginning, will you?"

"Alright, Jeri… Well, we met again…" Rika said casually.

"Who?" Jeri asked, feigning interest with what Rika had just said.

"Henry…" Rika answered nonchalantly.

"Oh. Henry…" Jeri said simply until her eyes grew wide. "HENRY?!" she then shouted.

"Yeah… It's Henry…" Rika replied with repetition.

"Henry? As in Henry Wong?!" Jeri asked again. "Your husband?!"

"Do I really have to repeat his name, Jeri?!" Rika said with irritation but eventually gave a slight blush. Thankfully, Jeri did not see her blush.

"Okay! Okay! So what happened?" Jeri inquired.

"He's my new boss…" Rika concluded. _And until now, I'm still surprised that he's my new boss. _

Jeri's eyes grew even wider after hearing that fact.

"What?!" Jeri asked now with disbelief.

"Yeah! You heard me… Henry's now my boss… He's the president of the company as well as the owner!" Rika stated.

"He's really your boss?! How did it happen anyway?!" Jeri asked with genuine interest.

"This is how it went… The former owner migrated to China and it happened that he knew Henry all along. So, he sold it to Henry since he had no plans to return to Japan," Rika explained. The information she told Jeri came from her supervisor Miss Takara Matsumoto.

"Wow! You must be the big boss as well! If the company really belongs to Henry now, that means it's also yours! Oh my goodness! You'll be called 'Madame' by your own witchy supervisor!" Jeri exclaimed with gaiety. "Ma'am Rika Wong!"

Rika already expected that Jeri would jump in joy because she explained that she found Henry once again.

"Baka! Have you forgotten that I left Henry two years ago? So how could that be possible? Most likely, he could be fixing our divorce papers!" Rika snorted.

_Indeed. Henry and I were married. But I left him for two years so we're living separate from each other, _Rika thought and with that, her eyes stared at nowhere.

Sensing that Rika was indeed spacing out, Jeri waved a hand to her face.

"Rika! Are you okay? You're spacing out!" Jeri said.

"Oh, it's nothing… I just wished that I didn't agree to his plans years ago… Then, I won't have any problems like today, right?" Rika answered seriously. "I'm so foolish to accede because he's just my friend!"

"My goodness, Rika! How choosy can you get? Aren't you happy that a handsome guy like Henry picked you to be his wife?" Jeri exclaimed.

"Yeah… I'm happy… But I can't deny that I being with him might give him disappointments… I know we only had that deal just for him to inherit his family wealth, you know?" Rika said problematically.

"I know what you mean. But look at the bright side, Rika! If you didn't get married to him, you won't be as richer as you really are now!" Jeri pointed out.

"Rich, yes… But problems, those are different things…" Rika groaned.

"What seems to be the problem, Rika?!" Jeri asked because Rika had been mentioning problems ever since she arrived just now.

"Hello? Are you even listening? I already told you that Henry's my new boss, remember?" Rika pointed out.

"Yes, he's your boss. So what's really the point, Rika?" Jeri stated curiously. "What are you really worried about?"

"What's the point? What if he makes my life miserable because he wanted to get even with me for leaving him? What if he fires me? And he doesn't give me my clearance! Isn't that a problem to you?!" Rika retorted.

Jeri twitched her eyebrows with Rika's reasoning.

"You sure imagine very wild! Those things won't happen to you, Rika! I know that you and Henry had a wonderful friendship with each other!" Jeri added with sympathy.

"You think so? I wish that would be the case!" Rika said in disdain.

"Why would you think that he'll do that to you anyway?" Jeri asked Rika curiously.

Rika did not reply. Furthermore, Jeri also had a point. Why would Henry fire her in the first place?

"Helloooooo?! Earth to Rika! Do I need to call a psychiatrist?" Jeri asked, seeing that Rika had gone to her own little world once again.

"No, Jeri… I'm just thinking of something…" Rika answered. "Why didn't I think of this before?"

"And what is that, Rika?" Jeri pointed out.

"That I resign from my job…" Rika answered casually. _  
_

Jeri looked at Rika in the eye seriously.

"What?! Do you think that you have any other work options if you resign? It's already hard to find a job nowadays, if you must know!" Jeri explained. "You even told me that you had a hard time applying for your current job, right?"

Rika eventually stopped talking. _Oh yeah! Why didn't I think of that possibility before?! I'm really an idiot! Okay, Rika… Scratch that…_

Because of that, Rika only fell silent even more. She even had nothing to say next.

"So, you can't even speak up! If you're going to resign, how are you going to get money for your personal needs?" Jeri pointed out. "Besides, you don't even want to follow your mother's footsteps as a model!"

"I had changed my mind towards that if I consider my possible resignation… But for now… I really don't know… Maybe sell myself to earn money?" Rika said jokingly.

Jeri's eyes went wide because of Rika's imagination.

"Sell yourself… to Henry! That's what you should do if you think of selling yourself!" Jeri chuckled.

"Jeri, I'm just kidding! Of course, my ex-husband would throw me a fit of anger if he learns that I sold myself to men other than him!" Rika said. "Of course I'll try my best to find a job! Anything just to be away from Henry!"

Jeri only shrugged and decided to offer her friend a piece of advice. "Just think it over, Rika… You'll lose your chance to be the wife of a president of a big company here in Shinjuku!" she added.

Rika finally relented to Jeri's advice. "Okay. I'll think it over…" she said. "But I'm also contemplating about the divorce with Henry… I don't want him really getting hurt later on because of me as an incapable wife to him…"

"That's another thing you should think over, Rika… But if you really want to, then it's your choice!" Jeri advised.

"Thanks, Jeri… I always knew I could count on you!" Rika said, tapping her friend's arm.

Jeri eventually left the living room so that she could prepare dinner for herself and Rika. Rika took the opportunity of being alone to think and reflect about what she would do in the future. But after her conversation with Jeri, Rika's thoughts reverted back to the past.

_When Henry and I got married, I know we set our limits strictly under the "no-strings attached" policy. But, of course, I was still thankful that it was him that I married even it was just a ploy for our parents, rather than to be somebody that I really don't even know! _

Rika remembered how she lived in Henry's house as his wife but they did not take the marriage seriously at that time. They were only college seniors at that time.

_But then again, we never slept on the same bed. The Wongs and my guardians don't even know about it. Why? We're only just friends and we don't want them to keep their hopes high about us __and we're still studying college at that time__. I know that Henry still wanted a wife that would make him happy inside and out._

Rika's mind had already been full of thoughts when suddenly her phone rang. She could even see that an unregistered number flashed in the screen and in order to know who the caller was, she picked up the phone.

"Hello?" Rika said. _Unknown number, huh? _

_"Rika…" _the voice from the other line said. _"We need to talk…"_

Rika's heart skipped a beat. Even if she had her eyes closed, she could still recognize the caller.

"What the hell, Henry?" Rika asked. _Oh goody. And how did he learn my cellphone number?_

_"Let's meet tonight at seven. I'll text you where we'll meet…" _the voice said and eventually hung up afterwards.

Rika then shook her head after hearing Henry who hung up shortly after their conversation.

"Ugh! Why do things don't work the way they seem?!" Rika groaned in desperation. "Should I go, or should I not?"

When Jeri returned from the kitchen to get water, Rika immediately called the former's attention.

"Hey, Jeri!" Rika said. "Guess what?"

"What what?" Jeri asked curiously.

"Henry called me…" Rika said to Jeri. "And he hung up afterwards."

"Oh…" Jeri said with sympathy.

Rika just nodded. _I wonder what he wanted from me this time! _

Later that evening, Jeri found Rika pacing aimlessly to and fro the living room.

"What's wrong with you, Rika? Can't you even stand still?" Jeri asked seriously, noticing her friend had been walking to and fro around her.

Rika could not help but possibly think of what she and Henry would talk about later.

_More than that, I'm still hesitant to go to the place that Henry said to me! _Rika thought. _What the hell are we going to talk about? I hate to admit it but I'm sort of… nervous. _

"Jeri, I'm really nervous! I don't even have a concrete idea on what he's going to say!" Rika said while putting her hands to her head.

"Maybe he wants to reconcile with you!" Jeri added. "Rika… You're always thinking of negatives!"

"And what if he doesn't? What if the divorce is the one we're going to talk about?!" Rika countered.

"First, you wanted a divorce with him… And now, it implies that you don't really want! Goodness, Rika! Please keep your reasons grounded, okay?" Jeri said, confused with what her friend had mentioned earlier.

_Oh right. Why should I get nervous? That would be a lot better because that means that I'll be set free! _Rika thought.

"Well… You do have a point. Why would I get nervous?" Rika asked Jeri.

Jeri let out a whisper. "You just love him and you won't admit it…"

Rika unfortunately heard Jeri's voice. She eventually blushed because of the fact that she still has somehow clandestine feelings for Henry.

"What love were you talking about, Katou?!" she yelled, disbelieved with what Jeri said.

"Oh! You heard my voice, didn't you?!" Jeri replied in surprise.

"Of course! Who wouldn't hear your loud whisper, Katou?!" Rika pointed out. _Silly Jeri. Thinking that I won't hear anything she says!_

"Whatever, Rika! I'm going to my room. I'm getting dizzy because of you!" Jeri said, stood up and went to her room.

It was already six in the evening and an hour is left for Rika in order to meet Henry.

_Should I really go or should I not go? After all, I didn't give Henry my confirmation because he's the one who dropped the phone at me! _Rika thought.

Meanwhile, Henry already reached his meeting place with Rika. When he looked at his watch, he could see that it was already fifteen minutes until seven in the evening.

_It's 6:45. Will that woman show up? __I wanted to settle things over and start again with her._

Henry remembered that Rika was always the punctual one. But today, he decided to be punctual just for her since he was the one who had a favor to ask her. His thoughts slowly reverted to what occurred earlier in his office.

_When I saw her in the office earlier, I felt the anger when she left me. Maybe it was because she broke off the deal that we had years ago. It was painful for me because I thought that she'll ride it all along yet she left me on the side of the road. But I'm willing to forgive her for what she did because I really love her with all my heart. _

Henry looked at the window for a moment. He realized that his feelings for Rika were already real.

_Actually, I really didn't have the plan to mend things with her even if I do have feelings for her. I just changed my mind after looking at her files. __Besides, everyone also deserves a second chance, right?_

**FLASHBACK (HENRY'S POV):**

"Sir Henry?" the secretary said to me and handed Rika's documents to me. "Here are the documents of Rika Wong that you requested from Miss Etsuko…"

"Thank you, Mika!" I said after reaching for them.

"Do you need anything more, Sir?" Mika asked me.

"No, no, I'm fine. Thank you…" I said. "You may now go…"

Mika nodded and left my office immediately. When the secretary was finally out of sight, I began scanning Rika's documents one by one.

_Just as I expected. _

_RIKA NONAKA WONG. That's what's in her resume._

_So she still uses my last name. How nice._

I smiled because of that thought. She's still my wife after all.

I scrutinized every piece of information that was written there.

**NAME: **Rika Nonaka Wong

**BIRTHDAY: **May 9, 1988

**SEX: **Female

**CIVIL STATUS: **Single

**WEIGHT: **110 lbs

**HEIGHT: **5'5''

**NATIONALITY: **Japanese

I turned to the next page when I realized that something was wrong.

_Nothing's fishy but something's not right… Hey, wait a minute! _

Then I returned to the first page to see what was going on.

I read again the resume until I found what was indeed wrong. I found Rika's civil status.

Afterwards, I laughed because I found that Rika was still using my last name and wrote single for the civil status.

"Single, eh?!" I said to myself while laughing and smirked as I looked again. "You're using my last name and you wrote single, Rika?"

I laughed again because I had a hunch that my wife definitely did that on purpose. That woman is indeed crazy!

I placed Rika's documents on my table and smiled to myself.

**END OF FLASHBACK**

"We'll see about that, my dear wife…" Henry said as his mind returned to reality.

Henry looked at his watch and it was already 7:15 in the evening. There was still no sign of Rika.

_Tsk. Where could that woman be? _Henry thought. _Wow. Whatever happened to the Digimon Queen who was also the queen of punctuality?_

Even during their teenage years, he remembered that Rika was never late for an appointment or meeting. He thought that something must have happened to Rika which caused her to be late.

Because he was busy thinking about Rika, Henry did not realize that a waiter was already standing near his table.

"Are you ready to order, Sir?" the waiter asked Henry.

"Uh… I'm still waiting for someone. But coffee will do…" Henry said pleasantly.

_Rika Nonaka! You better come here this instant or else I'm gonna kiss you when you arrive here! _Henry thought jokingly. _Wait a minute! She's no longer a Nonaka! She's a Wong! Hahaha! That single thing on her resume reminded me of her former last name…_

Fifteen minutes had elapsed and still there was no sign of Rika. Henry glanced at his watch. It was already 7:30.

_Rika probably stood me up on purpose! _Henry thought as possibilities came inside his head. _You're going to be dead tomorrow, Rika Nonaka-Wong! You'll see!_

It was already 7:45 in the evening and Henry had finally grown impatient of waiting for Rika.

_You're going to be really dead tomorrow, Rika Hata Nonaka Wong! You'll see!_

Henry realized that he did not just repeated his threat but he also mentioned Rika's whole name as well as his last name. With that, he stood up and left some money on the table and left the café.

_Time for Plan B__…_ Henry thought.


	3. Wrong Move

**Author's Note: **I don't own digimon. Okay? Please read and review! Thanks a lot! :D

* * *

**Chapter 3: Wrong Move**

Rika woke up early the next morning with the sun shining to her face. Though she thought that she would have a good morning today, she somehow felt guilty because she did not show up at her meeting with Henry last night.

_Why don't I make a leave today? No! I might get fired for good! Well, that's what you want, Rika… Getting fired… But, s__omehow, I realized that I can't get fired without money coming on my way… so, I still need to earn before I resign…_

Rika stood up from her bed and went to the bathroom slowly. Her thoughts about Henry never ceased.

_But then again, I'm actually nervous with what Henry will possibly do to me because I didn't show up yesterday night. _

When she went inside the shower, she realized that she forgot one thing.

_Wait! __Was it a compromise? No, right? I didn't even confirm that I'll be going because he had hung up before I could even say a thing! _Rika thought. _Right. HAHAHAHA! That won't be my fault!_

Rika eventually took a bath and dressed up for work. Today, she was wearing a blue blouse with a black skirt and wore the shoes that she used yesterday. Afterwards, she hailed a taxi and went to her workplace.

When she arrived, she saw Masato who was waiting for her in the lobby.

"Rika, I brought you sushi…" Masato said cheerfully.

Rika was surprised with what Masato brought for her. Since she rushed all the way from her condominium, she had totally forgotten to eat breakfast and she had no choice but to accept Masato's gift for her.

"Uh… Thanks, Masato…" Rika only managed to say.

Masato smiled. "You're welcome, Rika. So, shall we go?" he said and extended his hand.

Rika then shoved off Masato's hand and walked with the sushi in her hand. When she arrived in the office, she found Aimi smirking victoriously at her.

"Hmm! Rika finally learns how to reciprocate Masato's affection!" Aimi teased.

"Aimi, don't think of such things…" Rika snorted.

"Why shouldn't I? It's the first time you accepted Masato's gift for you!" Aimi pointed out.

"That's because I didn't eat my breakfast, Aimi…" Rika replied sullenly. "I had no choice but to eat something edible today!"

Rika was actually thinking differently.

_I woke up late all because of Henry. I don't even know what that guy would do to me! Besides, Hanako was indeed a wrong timing. She even thought of committing suicide last night! __Well, to say the least, Hanako won't even try doing so. She can't even bear to see blood! But I pitied Jeri because she looked pale when Mariko called me to inform me and Jeri so we went to see Hanako._

As she sat down in her desk, she placed her things and her sushi on it.

_Long story short, Hanako was abandoned by her boyfriend. Of course, that woman went nuts for a few minutes! _Rika thought as she turned the computer on. _But of course, even if it wasn't a compromise, I still went to my meeting place with Henry. Unfortunately, he wasn't there anymore. Five minutes had passed since he left when I arrived, according to the waiter. Oh well…_

Rika's thoughts were badly interrupted by Miss Matsumoto.

"Rika!" Miss Matsumoto yelled. "You're needed to go to Sir Henry's office. As in right now!"

"What?!" Rika said in shock. _And here we go!  
_

"Are you deaf? I said that Sir Henry needs to see you now! As in right now!" Miss Matsumoto answered.

Because of her superior's loud voice, Rika could hear her two teammates gossiping with one another.

"Why was she called?" Sakura asked Aimi.

"Maybe she did something bad!" Aimi replied.

"Hey! You two! Return to work!" Miss Matsumoto ordered.

The two ladies went back to their respective cubicles.

Then, Rika came to a conclusion. She eventually stood up.

"Uh, Ma'am…" Rika said softly so that only Miss Matsumoto can hear.

"Yes, Rika?" Miss Matsumoto asked sternly.

"Better start hunting for my replacement…" Rika answered coolly. "I think I'm getting fired…"

Miss Matsumoto eventually looked grave. Though she may be bitchy towards Rika sometimes, she showed a hint that she will definitely miss her subordinate.

"Okay…" Miss Matsumoto answered. "But please verify if you're getting fired, Rika. I would have a hard time finding your replacement."

"If that's the case, I'll recommend a friend of mine!" Rika said and walked from of her workstation.

Rika eventually reached Henry's office. She found his secretary on her desk.

"Uh… Mika? Is the boss looking for me?" Rika said casually.

"Oh yes. He's been waiting for you!" Mika replied.

"Okay. Thanks…" Rika said coolly.

Rika went to the door that was leading to Henry's office. She opened the door and found him seated with his feet raised on the desk while playing with the stress ball he was holding. When Henry heard the door close because of Rika, he immediately looked at her with all the fierceness that he could have.

Rika saw Henry move and instinct told her to avert him. She felt that Henry will throw the stress ball to her that was why she moved a bit. She could see that Henry suppressed a smile while she felt extremely embarrassed in front of him.

"Sit…" Henry said to Rika.

Henry pointed to the chair that was in front of the desk. Then he edged closer to Rika so he could talk to her.

"Sir Henry? You wish to see me?" Rika said nonchalantly. But she was actually nervous because Henry was not saying anything and he was only staring at her.

Since Henry was not uttering a single word, Rika decided to start the conversation even if it looked deviant to the protocol that she had been following for the past few months.

"Sir Henry, I…" Rika began.

"I'm giving you a month for you to find another job…" Henry replied coolly. _I wonder how far could she get a reasoning with this one. _

Rika's eyes grew wide after that. _Bingo. Just as I expected. He's going to fire me. But please, not now! I can't find a job until after two months! Or maybe… I could resort to modeling… Just anything that I could do to earn for a living!_

"According to your files, your name is Rika Wong… And it also shows that you're single…" Henry emphasized the word "single".

"Aaaahh…" Rika said. _Is that it? I'm going to find a job because I used his last name and the wrong civil status?_

"You're using my surname but you're single…" Henry stated sternly. "Look for another job. We don't need dishonesty here."

"Henry, please! I'm really sorry if I didn't show up last night. There was an emergency!" Rika sounded like she was pleading. _Actually, it's so hard to find a job like this!_

Henry did not pay attention to her pleas.

"Please! Don't fire me!" Rika said pleadingly.

Henry was still silent even if Rika had pled to him already.

"I went there but the waiter told me that you left. I arrived there at 7:50…" Rika explained. "You left at 7:45, right?"

Henry only looked at Rika again in order to consider that the things she said were true.

"Right?" Rika pointed out.

"Alright… I won't fire you…" Henry answered.

"Really?!" Rika said. _Even this kind guy still has a heart._

"On one condition…" Henry added.

Rika's eyes went wide again. _What the hell? Do I look like a trading woman to him?_

"You're going to live in my house…" Henry finally said.

"What?!" Rika sounded disbelieved. _He wants me to live again with him?_

"I need a maid. I'm going to give you a salary as my maid…" Henry said. _What the heck? I think it didn't sound right!_

_What the hell, Henry Wong? You only needed me as a maid? You're getting very abusive, Henry Wong! Now, I know what to sue Henry when I file a divorce against him! Abuse to women! _Rika thought angrily.

"So? Do you agree? Just tell me if you don't so I'll make your termination paper…" Henry stated.

Rika had absolutely enough. She already agreed to marry him three years ago and now, he wants her this time to be his maid.

"FINE! DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO TO ME! TERMINATE ME AND THAT'S FINE WITH ME! I can find other jobs here in Japan! Thank you, Sir and have a very nice day!" Rika said furiously.

Rika eventually made her quick exit and closed the door with a tinge of anger but with implied respect.

Henry was surprised with Rika's attitude towards him.

_Wow. Rika walked out. Nothing new._

Henry sighed after Rika walked out of his office.

_Well, this is different. I even thought she would agree. Why did I even tell her that? All I wanted is to reconcile with her. Why did I even tell her that I wanted her as my maid? Did I sound desperate enough so that she will return to me?_

Henry then played with his pen while reflecting about Rika's attitude towards him and how he reacted towards her.

_ I guess I'm already feeling what Rika felt after being left by her father. __I promised Grandma Seiko that I'll fix my relationship with Rika because I told her that Rika and I met again, _Henry thought. _Good going, Henry. You did a very nice but very wrong move. But I need to do something for her. I promise… You'll return to me, Rika._

Rika was fuming after she slowly fixed the puzzle pieces together. She would be working for Henry for two reasons?

_Me? A maid? Wow, Henry. Just because you're rich doesn't mean you have the right to abuse me! I only agreed because you sounded desperate and being the good son to the Wongs when you married me! Rika, terminate or maid?_

Rika felt that she would be torn between two decisions that would determine her probable future because of Henry.

_Ugh! Back to him… He's totally crazy! What does he think of me? An ignoramus? Even if he fires me, I don't even care and give a damn now! Alright, Rika… You better start thinking of where you'll be going after you hand him your resignation. That's right! I'm going to resign! _She concluded in her mind.

Rika was unaware that she arrived at her workstation already. Her glum face indicated that she is going to her termination soon.

"Rika? What happened?" Miss Matsumoto asked.

"I'm resigning…" Rika said jokingly in order for Henry to lift the punishment. "Can I have a copy of the termination paper that Eira used?"

"What?!" Miss Matsumoto asked again. "You're joking, Rika!"

"I don't know… When I resign, that's the time I'm going to tell you…" Rika explained. "Right now, I need the paper, Miss Matsumoto!"

"Well… You have to edit it first!" Miss Matsumoto said reluctantly while giving her a copy of the termination paper from her own desk.

"I can handle it, Miss Matsumoto. Even though I hated you, I'm still going to miss you when I'm gone!" Rika said sarcastically.

"Thank you, Rika…" Miss Matsumoto replied.

Rika eventually typed the paper and had it printed in a span of ten minutes. She had them signed by Miss Matsumoto, who became reluctant with Rika's abrupt resignation; however, she still needed to go to their president Henry so he could finally grant her termination.

When Rika returned to the office, she found Henry again who was seated by his desk. But she decided to use her mask of a girl desperate to resign so that he could lift the deal with her.

"Uh… Sir Henry!" Rika called him politely.

Henry looked up to see Rika. He let out a small smile because he thought that Rika had decided already.

"What is it, Rika? Are you going to accept my offer or not?" he asked.

"I don't know… if I'm going to accept your offer…" Rika answered.

Henry grunted and Rika could see that Henry seemed desperate in getting her back.

"Then why did you come here? Was it because you missed me even if we only talked earlier?" Henry asked Rika casually.

"No! I only came here to hand these to you!" Rika answered again and handed him her resignation papers.

Henry found Rika's resignation papers and he looked at them dubiously.

"What's this?" Henry asked, looking at Rika this time.

"Are you dumb, Henry? I'm going to resign! Just like what you wanted!" Rika answered crisply.

Henry thought for a moment. He only told that he will fire Rika so that she would agree to live with him but the opposite was already going towards him: Rika is now resigning in front of him.

"I'm not going to sign these…" Henry stated. _Is she serious with this?_

"Why not?! You even told me that you're going to fire me anyway! Right? You can't take back your word, Sir Wong! So I'm going to do that first! I'm going to resign!" Rika said firmly.

"I won't sign your resignation papers and I'm not going to fire you! And you're not going to resign! That's final!" Henry said firmly.

Rika's eyes went wide. _Finally! Mission accomplished!_

"Okay, Sir! There you have it!" Rika said, smirking evilly. "I'm not resigning! And one more thing, I actually made up my mind. I'm not accepting your offer as well!"

Henry became agape. "What the heck?" he mumbled.

Rika smiled victoriously around Henry before she left him.

"See you around, Sir Henry Wong!" Rika taunted and brought with her the papers.

Rika laughed a bit while she made her way towards her cubicle. She saw Aimi and Sakura looking at her curiously as if they demanded an explanation to why Henry had called for her.

"Hey, Rika! What did the boss say to you? Did you do something?" Aimi asked Rika.

"Nothing! He only made me do something for him!" Rika answered.

"And why are you so defensive, Rika?" Sakura asked as well.

"No, I'm not!" Rika protested.

"Then what did you do?" Aimi asked again.

"Why don't you stop asking me and work?" Rika asked, snorting.

"I'm just asking, Rika! Sheesh!" Aimi shrugged.

Rika groaned in disgust. _I didn't talk to Aimi. I was so mad at Henry with what he said earlier to me that I wanted to kill him! But I'm glad that he didn't let me resign! That's more like it!_

Eventually, Rika heard her teammates whispering to one another.

"What's up with them? Sir Henry had just arrived yesterday and he's already close to Rika!" Aimi said.

"Yeah! I wonder what Mr. Wong saw in Rika. I'm prettier than her, you know?" Sakura said.

Rika shook her head. _Pathetic flirty girls! They really don't know me! And, were they really whispering or were they just talking about me behind my back?!_

"Anyway, was Sir Henry's surname really Wong?" Aimi asked.

"Yeah! Why don't you know it?" Sakura replied.

"I'm gonna smack you, Sakura. I just thought. Rika's surname is Wong, right?" Aimi said.

"Oh yeah! Were they relatives or something? Nope. Probably not. There are a lot of Wongs in the world, you know!" Sakura pointed out.

Rika only suppressed her laughter. _Relative? Yeah right! Silly girls!_

"Would you girls stop gossiping and return to work?" Miss Matsumoto said sternly.

_Good for them. So much for being nosy! _Rika thought and laughed deviously.

"So, what did the boss say?" Miss Matsumoto asked, seeing that Rika already returned to her cubicle.

"Oh… He didn't let me resign… But that's fine… At least, you won't make an effort to find me a replacement…" Rika replied.

"That's good. To tell you the truth, Rika… I was surprised that you're going to resign… Did you really mean it?" Miss Matsumoto stated.

"Well, I have to and I also have no choice if he wanted to terminate me or not…" Rika answered and followed it with a shrug. "It's also his… But I went first…"

"Well… That's worth it. Anyway, now that you're really back; return to work, will you?" Miss Matsumoto said to Rika firmly.

"Sure! No problem at all!" Rika answered while she started laying out her papers.

Meanwhile, Henry was contemplating on how to get Rika back again.

_That girl definitely scored one against me! First, she's laying up her resignation papers and yet, I even allowed her not to resign! Worse, she didn't accept my offer! What could be a better tactic for her to return to me?_

Henry thought of some ways but they only brought him to one thing: tell her what he really wanted from her.

_What if I tell her that I really wanted to reconcile with her? __Nope. She won't probably give in._

Even if he had nothing to do, he felt that he was busy because of thinking of a plan to get back with Rika and fix the entire mess that they created.

_I need a back-up plan. __But how?_

Then Henry suddenly had an idea and snapped his fingers.

_Yeah! She will help me! As far as I know from our experiences, she's a hopeless romantic!_

That afternoon, Rika eventually got home after scoring the deal between her and Henry. She saw Jeri who was seated on the couch as usual.

_I only told Henry that I'm not agreeing to his proposal so that he would stop his nonsense. But in reality, I'm still torn between my decisions. I need Jeri's help! Aaaaaaaargh!_

"Hey, Jeri! I have a story to tell you!" Rika said.

"What's that, Rika?" Jeri asked as well.

"It's about Henry…" Rika said.

"You definitely can't think properly with him lurking around, can you?" Jeri explained.

"Yeah…" Rika replied. She eventually told Jeri about what happened in his office earlier.

Jeri began to think for a moment. Then she finally spoke up.

"You know… I think it's wise that you accept his offer…" Jeri advised Rika.

"You think so?" Rika raised an eyebrow and asked.

"Of course! It's an advantage for you, you know! You won't need to pay for everything! Even food's free! I'm sure you can save money!" Jeri answered.

"Oh yeah! Why didn't I think of that?" Rika snapped her fingers.

"And if you do save a sum, you can leave him. That is, if you're really willing to divorce with him!" Jeri added.

_Divorce him… Yeah… The only way to avert the pain I'll give to Henry later on…_

Rika sighed after realizing that she was torn between two decisions.

_I'm sure he's still searching for a potential wife here in Shinjuku… Not just his best friend to act as his wife… He doesn't say it much because he was the one who dragged me into this mess… and I'm foolish enough to say yes! _Rika thought. _Also, I can't live with a fake identity here in Shinjuku! But somehow, Jeri does have a point. Hmm… What should I really do? _

"Should I really accept his offer?" Rika asked Jeri again.

"Duh? Do I have to repeat everything?" Jeri chuckled. "I already emphasized the pros, you know?!"

Rika shrugged with what Jeri said to her.

"Tomorrow's gonna be a long long day…" she finally concluded. "Maybe yes could be the answer to my problems."


	4. Jealousy

**Author's Note:** Hello! I know that I update very fast but I might get busy finishing this story for the next few weeks. So, here's Chapter 4. Beware for some OOCness. Thanks for your continuing support.

And to reiterate, I don't own digimon. Please read and review! Thanks a lot! :D

* * *

**Chapter 4: Jealousy**

The next day, it was a bright and sunny day for Henry and he was wearing the usual black coat and tie because the job as the president of the company needed him to do so. He was about to go to his office when he suddenly remembered about Rika being convinced to live with him because of his negotiation with another friend of his, Jeri Katou. He then decided to go to Rika's territory so he could see her.

_This is the day! HAHAHA! __That woman will eventually return to me! __I just know it! _Henry thought victoriously.

He slowly pondered to how he asked Jeri a favor from her yesterday.

_According to Jeri, it looks like she convinced Rika to agree with what I said. I thought it would be easy. However, I got something to do in return. I then promised to pay Rika's share in the condo even if she's now living with me._

Henry looked at his wristwatch. It was already nine in the morning.

_It's already nine. For sure, she's here already. But I'm going to go straight to her. I really can't wait to have her again._

Henry was whistling in the lobby while he was making his way towards Rika's territory. When he got closer to Rika's territory, Henry was smiling to himself because he was sure that Rika will eventually say yes to him.

_What could have happened if Rika didn't leave me two years ago? __Could I have told her how much I love her? _

Those were the only things that Henry could think about as of this moment. Eventually, he saw Rika after arriving there. His face wore a smile after seeing his current employee and "wife".

_Rika… _

However, his thoughts were ruined when he saw Rika talking to another man. His face became pale when he also saw that the man brought flowers to his wife.

_Who's that? _Henry thought. _Damn! Maybe I should leave…_

Just as Henry was walking away, he realized that something was truly wrong.

_Wait a minute! __That can't be! _

Henry looked intently at the unusual one-sided scenario between Rika and the other man.

_That's my wife he's flirting with! __That's not right! _He thought.

With that, Henry decided to play "strict" for now so that Rika would get to follow him. He eventually returned to Rika's territory and said, "Ehem!"

The entire department looked to the source of the voice. All appalled at the sight of Henry as he stood near the door. Employees there got a look of horror as they saw their president who stood by the door.

"Miss Wong, please follow me to my office…" Henry instructed and turned away. _Did I sound convincing enough or should I emphasize it?_

Henry was walking when he thought of the possibility that Rika would not follow him even if he called her.

"And I mean now…" he added seriously. _There! That should do the trick!_

Silence filled the air as of the moment after they heard that Rika was called again. Rika was aghast because she did not even do anything yet Henry wanted to see her again. But definitely she knew that it did not have something to do with the other night as well.

_Shit. The big boss's head looks hot today! _Rika thought after thinking of the possibilities. _What am I supposed to do now? And what does he wanted now from me?!_

Rika realized that she was still holding the flowers that Masato gave her. She mentally smacked herself for letting herself be given flowers by somebody.

"Anyway, Masato, I need to go to Sir. Thanks for the flowers…" Rika said plainly and placed the flowers on her desk. _That Masato was really getting on my nerves! I told him to never bug me anymore! If only I could tell __him __that I was married to Henry so that he could stop already._

Rika then went to her supervisor, Miss Matsumoto, to warn her about the impending danger that ensued after being called once again.

"Miss Matsumoto, that not-resigning-thing yesterday could be a false alarm…" Rika said to Miss Matsumoto plainly. "This must be reality!"

Miss Matsumoto shook her head seriously. _Every time Rika gets called by Sir Henry, she always feels that she's getting fired. Was a kind of conspiracy going on here? _She thought.

"Just tell me if something happens, Rika!" Miss Matsumoto instructed.

Rika nodded and eventually left for the elevator. The mere thought of Henry being strict to her today brought only a tinge of nervousness to her face.

When Rika arrived at the elevator, she found that it was open. Inside it was Henry who was actually waiting for her. Being awkward with him once again, Rika was unable to speak for a few moments. Henry felt nothing with Rika standing next to him, but deep inside, he actually liked being with her and hoped that the moment would never end.

Now that they arrived at his office, Henry instructed his secretary for a moment. "Mika, no visitors and no phone calls, alright?"

Mika was surprised at the sight of Rika walking behind her boss.

"Yes, Sir!" Mika said obediently and started to make some calls.

Once they got inside, Henry closed the door, sat down on his chair and immediately faced Rika.

"You may have a leave for the rest of the afternoon. Pack your things up and I'll pick you up at five…" Henry said to Rika straightforwardly.

"What?! And who the hell told you that I agree to be your maid, huh?" Rika retorted as she sat down.

_Damn him! He has been assuming too much! _Rika thought. _Wonder what he's going to say next!_

Henry eventually let out a small smile after noticing Rika's confusion. "Why? Do you have a choice?" he asked.

_Great! Does he really need to force me that I don't have a choice? _Rika thought to herself. _According to my friends, it would be best if I live with Henry. And yet, I really don't have a choice!_

"Okay. Why don't you tell me what are you going to do if you do have any other choices, Rika?" Henry asked, somehow challenging Rika.

Rika did not reply after that. Henry also stopped for a moment.

"Or maybe you wanted to go with that suitor of yours? Is he your BOYFRIEND?" Henry said, trying to keep up his composure.

Rika was surprised. Even her husband had been assuming that she and Masato are dating! But she decided to ride with it for now.

"So what if Masato is my boyfriend? As if you care?!" Rika snapped back. _Oh good. An argument's probably coming. _

"Have you forgotten that you're married to me, Rika?" Henry then countered.

Rika eventually lost her source of reasoning because of that fact.

_I figured out that he would really say that! _Rika thought again. _And truth hurts, I AM MARRIED. _

"If you want to have a relationship with others, I don't care. Just make sure that I won't know about it or I won't see the two of you, alright?" Henry stated while depicting a fake seriousness just in front of Rika.

Rika could see some jealousy brewing from Henry after noting his facial expressions towards her. She somehow blushed at this point because they are currently having a so-called "husband-and-wife quarrel".

_Damn! Was he jealous? His reaction was so overacting and it's nothing like the Henry that I knew from years ago! _Rika thought. _If he has a sort of feeling for me, then that's his fault for breaking the rule! Wait, I wonder what to say to this guy…_

"Are you jealous, Henry?" Rika could not help but say it.

"Me? Jealous?! No way! As if I care about you very much!" Henry said sarcastically, but deep inside, he felt that a knife had been stabbed through him.

Rika secretly laughed evilly at his retort.

_Him? Jealous? Yeah right. I knew it. We're the only ones who were able to read facial expressions clearly! But, I should also point out that there was a NO STRINGS ATTACHED policy when we got married in the first place! _She thought.

"Henry, the first thing we did after our wedding was sealing a deal called NO-STRINGS ATTACHED. Meaning, we won't get romantically involved with one another. But why are you acting as if you're my jealous husband?" Rika pointed out. "Besides, I only did that for you. This time, I should really get what I want!"

"I'm not jealous, Rika!" Henry said with an evident rise in his voice. _But deep inside, I really am. _

Rika mentally laughed at Henry's reactions toward her.

"And why are you so defensive, Henry?!" Rika inquired dryly. _Yeah right. Total defensiveness. _

"Defensive?!" Henry said and eventually laughed. "You're crazy. I'm just reminding that you're still married to me, no matter what you say. It's not good for me as well to see you in a relationship with another man, you know."

"Okay… You say so…" Rika said casually. _  
_

"But if you do want to be with him, just tell me. I'll fix the divorce papers…" Henry said plainly but deep inside, he felt hurt when he said those words.

_That would be great…_ Rika thought sardonically. _You're the one who really dragged me into this kind of mess. _

"If you really want to… For me, marriage is sacred and that won't be just a thing to be easily thrown away…" Henry replied seriously.

Rika only nodded after hearing Henry's remarks and looked away for a moment.

"Okay… You may now return to your desk…" Henry said nonchalantly to Rika.

Rika only nodded, stood up and turned away.

"Five in the afternoon, alright, Miss Wong?!" Henry reminded Rika.

Rika only nodded once again and did not reply afterwards. She just concentrated on walking towards her own workstation.

_I still don't get it. How come he learned that I agreed already to his plans?! _Rika thought. _Ugh! This better not be good. __Oh well, Rika. This is the price you have to pay for leaving a guy._

Meanwhile, Henry was still preoccupied with his and Rika's conversation and with what he saw in her territory earlier.

_Man. I didn't control myself earlier. I was really jealous with that guy! __Yet, I can't let Rika know that I was jealous. For sure, she's going to laugh at me. It was already bad enough that I broke the rule and had fallen for her._

Henry remembered that both of them sealed the rule called "NO STRINGS ATTACHED" after the wedding took place and he literally broke it.

_And if she returns to our house, I'll let her feel what I'm really feeling for her. I __just hope that one day; she can also love me back even if it was just a bit. That would be fine for me. I'm not forcing her to love me wholeheartedly__… __I'm still in the friend-zoned level because of that NO-STRINGS ATTACHED policy._

Henry let out a sigh. Even if he had feelings for Rika, still he could not deny that it would take a long time to please her, especially with her cold and rough attitude sometimes. It happened that he just knows how to measure Rika's temper before but today made a change because of what he said to her: he wanted Rika as his maid in his house.

_Yet, I might not recover if she leaves me just like before. She left me all alone, without a word or a letter explaining why she left me. That was a bad timing because that was the time I really developed serious feelings for her. __All these years, I really felt empty because she was no longer living with me, _Henry thought. _But this may be the last chance that I get to love you, Rika._

He then turned to see his picture with Rika inside a frame. It was one of the pictures that he had with her. The picture was taken when Rika celebrated her thirteenth birthday with him. To him, Rika's beauty was timeless and her facial features never changed even almost three years had elapsed ever since they separated from each other.

"Rika… if only you knew how much I really loved you…" Henry added.

When she returned, Rika had another round of interrogation with her teammates Aimi and Sakura.

"Rika, what's up with you and our boss? Sir Henry's here only for two days in his office and it looks like you're really friends with him!" Aimi said curiously.

"Yeah! How come you always get the good guys?" Sakura pouted. "First Masato and now, Sir Henry! Don't tell me that you also know Ryo Akiyama!"

Rika only shrugged. If only she can tell the truth behind her recent trips to Henry's office, then she can finally shut the mouths of her officemates. But if she does tell them about her relationship with Henry, her two teammates would not even believe it and would consider her as a hopeless romantic and a lunatic.

"Actually, I also know Ryo Akiyama… He's a friend of mine who was the so-called Digimon King way back so many years ago!" Rika explained. "Well, as for our Sir Henry… he was my best friend since we're teenagers…"

Aimi and Sakura looked at Rika in shock. Rika and their big boss are best of friends?

"No way, Rika!" Aimi said to Rika. "I can't believe it!"

"You and Sir Henry are best friends?!" Sakura asked.

"Yeah… Why? Can't a guy and a girl be friends without malice?" Rika raised an eyebrow while explaining. _Here we go. Let the lying begin!_

"No… We just can't believe of your connection with Sir Henry! It is a small world for the two of you!" Aimi answered. "Besides! You two have same surnames!"

"Neither did I… That's why I was surprised when I learned that he'll be our new boss…" Rika added.

"So his being handsome is no longer a big deal to you?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Maybe…" Rika shrugged. _Besides, I'm not surprised with his awesome looks. He's been dealing with that ever since we're teenagers!_

"Rika! Can you help me set-up with him?" Aimi requested.

_Actually, he's taken… But soon, you can have him… _Rika thought.

The thought caused Rika to wince a bit. She felt a small pang of pain with the thought of him being with someone else and she could not understand why did it happen.

_Noooo! I shouldn't let my emotions about him get in the way! I had moved on already! _Rika thought. _But__… back about e_arlier and his reactions, he looked jealous when I talked to him… _That means he really cared for me… __More than as a friend? Nah… That won't be possible! __So get your thoughts straightened up, Rika Nonaka Wong!_

Noticing that Rika had been spacing out, Aimi waved a hand to her teammate's face.

"Helloooooo?!" Aimi said, trying to catch Rika's attention. "Rikaaaaa!"

"Huh?" Rika asked as she recovered. "What is that, Aimi?"

"I said if you would be kind to help me set-up with him since you were friends!" Aimi requested with her obvious repetition.

"I don't know… As you can see, our boss is really pretty busy these days! I don't know if he's totally free!" Rika said nonchalantly. "Besides, now that he's the boss of this company, I won't be always with him just like I used to…"

"Aww… You're very lucky that he's your best friend!" Sakura said with a praise.

"Does he have a brother?!" Aimi asked flirtatiously.

"Yeah… Only older…" Rika added. "He has two other sisters as well…"

Rinchei Wong, her brother-in-law, was also married but legally and seriously.

"And unfortunately married!" Rika added.

"Aww!" Aimi and Sakura said in unison.

"But, Sir Henry's future girlfriend would be lucky because she has him!" Sakura replied with glee.

"Yeah! Good looks, position in the company, money… What more could a woman ask for?" Aimi remarked and sighed dreamily.

Rika felt as if she got hit by an arrow. Though she should be lucky that she was married to Henry, but she felt frustrated because it was only for show and she had hoped that it was real in front of his family.

"Well, anyway, I really have to take a half-day leave…" Rika pointed out to the girls. "There are some things that I need to accomplish… Where's Miss Matsumoto, anyway?"

"We don't know! Anyway, we gotta go…" Aimi said to Rika.

"Yeah. She might see the two of us just loitering around though we only gave files for each of the department heads!" Sakura said and they turned away.

"Come on, Sakura!" Aimi urged her friend to follow her.

As if on cue, Miss Matsumoto arrived at Rika's workstation.

"Yes, Rika? I assume that you wish to see me…" Miss Matsumoto said.

"Yeah… Anyway, I have to take a leave for the rest of the day… Some things came up and they need urgent attention…" Rika explained. _Like moving house, for example… And dealing with the boss inside his house…_

"And why were you called by Sir Henry again, Rika? Was the termination really for good?" Miss Matsumoto asked.

"Well, this time, I'm relieved that being called by Henry has nothing to do with a resignation…" Rika answered to her supervisor. "I hate to say this but my reasons behind my leave for today is extremely confidential…"

"I understand if it's for family, Rika…" Miss Matsumoto said. "I really am wondering what's up with you and you feel that being called by Sir Henry means that you're going to resign. What's the matter all about?"

"Well, I don't even know about that, Miss Matsumoto… Maybe I'm just getting some odd thoughts about our new boss firing me…" Rika shrugged. "So where can I get some L-O-A forms?"

"Sakura has them…" Miss Matsumoto said. "Have them signed by me and the department head…"

"Thanks, Miss Matsumoto…" Rika said coolly.

"But you still have to finish your work tomorrow, Rika!" Miss Matsumoto pointed out.

"I would be glad to finish them, Miss Matsumoto!" Rika said.


	5. Moving In

**Author's Note: **Before I undergo my final exams, this is my gift to the readers. After this, I don't know when will I update. By the way, this is Chapter 5. Please beware for some OOCs and don't forget to read and review! Thanks! :D

* * *

**Chapter 5: Moving In**

That afternoon, Rika had already finished packing her things at four in the afternoon and she was no longer wearing her corporate attire. Instead, she was already wearing her red shirt and jean shorts. In an hour, her "ex-husband" Henry would pick her up.

_I'm going to miss this condominium. I've been living here for two years already! _Rika thought as she made her last walks in her condominium. _I wonder what could be the kinds of things that Henry could possibly do to me. I just hope that it would be just like before…_

With that, Rika started to reminisce the memories that she had during the time she was living with Henry under one roof.

_Well… When we're together before, he was definitely kind to me… and he treated me as if we're more than friends! Though we extracted an oath that we should not take things too much seriously, yet he still did what a normal husband should do. For me, he's the perfect husband actually. But something happened and it happened to be my fault…_

Rika recalled how she tried her best to fight her feelings for Henry that time because of that deal.

_Even if we had that NO-STRINGS ATTACHED POLICY for months, I somehow felt something unusual towards him… As if there's something brewing inside of my mind that I should be really serious with Henry as his wife… In short, I actually had feelings for Henry other than friendship, _Rika thought. _That sounded pathetic. Why? If Henry learns about that, he'll only laugh at me! Rika Nonaka? The cold-hearted girl was actually in love with a guy named Henry Wong? That won't definitely sound right… Besides, he only used me so that he would inherit the Wongs' property and even Mom and Grandma agreed that Henry should marry me just because I don't have a boyfriend!_

But Rika remembered that there was another reason why she left Henry.

_Also, I realized that I was somehow incapable of providing Henry his needs. Maybe being legally Mrs. Wong was really putting some pressure to me at that time and I don't want him to get hurt later on because I was the so-called incapable one, _Rika thought. _Because of those possibilities__, I made up my mind. In order to avert the probability of him laughing over me, I decided to pack up my things and leave without a reason. Besides, he's already smart enough to deduce why I should leave!_

Rika closed her suitcase and started to pile them up in front of the door.

_And eventually, because of leaving him, I finally had forgotten about my feelings for him! And maybe, I will do what Jeri said. If I earned a lot already, then that's the time I'll file a divorce against him and leave him… completely. __But today, after what I have seen and somehow implied by Henry, maybe… Well… I'm still confused…_

Rika's thoughts were crashed when she heard the doorbell ring.

_Ugh. This might probably be Henry! Okay, Rika! You're back to the conjugal home not as his wife but as his maid. _

When she opened the door, Rika found a handsome blue-haired young man standing by her door. He wore a black shirt and jeans, contrary to how she saw him in the office earlier.

_Wow! He's early today! _Rika thought. _Wonder what made him early today?! Hmm…__  
_

"Are you ready, Rika?" Henry asked.

"Yeah…" Rika said dully.

"Well then, let's go!" Henry said to Rika, leading her outside.

When they got out, Henry sensed that Rika somehow needed help with her bags and extended his hand to help her.

"Let me handle that…" Henry said to Rika, trying to get her bag.

"No, thank you. I can manage. Besides, I'm your MAID, right?!" Rika emphasized the word "maid".

"Are you sure?" Henry asked again.

"One more question, Henry Wong, and I'll back out at the last minute!" Rika said sharply.

"Okay okay! Have it your way!" Henry shrugged. _She's still my hot-headed wife…_

_The playing hard-to-get game! _Rika thought. _This is going to be interesting! Hmm…_

Rika and Henry eventually went down the elevator without mentioning a word to each other. Rika found Henry's ulterior motives somehow suspicious because she had no idea why he was sweet to her despite all the things she did years ago. They kept that up until they went in the car and drove towards home.

When they arrived, Henry saw Rika going upstairs with her baggage.

"Where are you going?" he asked curiously.

Rika smacked her head in disgust. _Where was I going anyway? _

"In my room?" Rika said reluctantly.

"You're my maid, right? Where does a maid sleep?" Henry pointed out.

Rika again smacked her head. _Damn it, Henry. You're really making things true! What are you, a prince who has a lady-in-waiting?_

"You're going to stay in the maid's quarters…" Henry instructed and he eventually went upstairs.

Rika eventually went to the maid's quarters. When she went inside, she found it nice and clean and it did not even look like a room for a maid.

_Oh well… At least he didn't let me sleep outside! Damn you, Henry Wong! _Rika thought because of her punishment for now.

Rika was already unpacking her things when her cellphone rang.

_"Rika! You better cook something! I'm hungry!" _Henry bellowed from the other line and had hung up.

_I so gonna hate you for this, Henry Wong! _Rika thought when she placed her phone on the other side of the bed. _Don't I have the right to rest for now?_

Meanwhile, in Henry's room, he could not help but laugh at Rika's reaction when he told her that she will sleep in the maid's quarters.

_This is fun! Especially how she reacted with what I said! __That wasn't my original plan. She was supposed to sleep in the room next to mine. But I was annoyed with what I saw in the office earlier. So I decided to play a trick on her._

Meanwhile, Rika was cooking in the kitchen when her cellphone rang.

"Hello?" Rika said after picking up the phone.

_"Hey, Rika! It's me, Jeri!" _the voice from the other line said.

"Hey, Jeri…" Rika said dully.

_"So how's day one in the Wong residence?"_ Jeri asked.

"It's not yet day one, Katou… And, unfortunately, I'm really getting into the maid stuff… I'm cooking my boss some dinner right now…" Rika answered.

_"Oh… So you're really his maid! Henry must be happy because you're his maid!" _Jeri squealed.

"If Henry's happy, then I'm not happy!" Rika retorted.

_"But at least you won't have to pay for everything in your house!" _Jeri said._ "He'll only have to pay everything for the condo…"_

"What?! Henry will have to pay for the condo?!" Rika asked, surprised with what Jeri just said.

Jeri realized that she had slipped up. _Oh no! _She thought.

"Jeri! What's going on?!" Rika asked. She decided to investigate now.

_"Uh… Uh…" _Jeri said.

"Jeri Katou!" Rika bellowed.

_"Alright alright! Henry promised me that he will pay for your share here in the condo so that he could get you to live with him!" _Jeri explained. _"There! You happy?" _

Rika could not believe her ears. That was the reason why Henry had moved a step ahead of her. He already knows that she agreed to be his maid!

"Sorry if I yelled…" Rika said.

_"I'm sorry too if I took part of the set-up… I just wanted to help__…" _Jeri said apologetically.

"Alright… I'll just pretend that I didn't catch on to your scheme…" Rika said. _Hmm…_

_"Okay… Are you now mad at me?" _Jeri asked.

"Kind of… At least you told me the truth…" Rika said while trying to calm herself; otherwise she might put the dinner all wrong. "Anyway, thanks for informing me, Jeri… This would be a really good scoop for the divorce… Bye, Jeri!"

_So that's the reason why Henry moved ahead of me and the meaning behind his assuming ways! __Thinking that I'll let him win? Not a chance! _Rika thought slyly. _Well, his dinner is getting cooked anytime soon! That's the time the real war begins!_

Rika eventually did her best to finish what she was doing. She was still surprised that Henry would actually have to resort to talking to Jeri in order to get her to live with him.

_Ugh… I'll still have to call my boss of mine! _Rika thought in disdain.

Rika made her way out of the kitchen and towards Henry's room. Because the door was closed, Rika decided to simply knock to catch his attention.

Inside Henry's room, he was still busy thinking about the past, when he and Rika were still young as well as Takato. Their only problem that time was how to eliminate the D-Reaper. But his current problem right now was being the president of a company that he bought from a friend of his father.

_When a door closes, another one really opens! _He thought. _What kind of technique should I use to run the company efficiently?_

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a knock from the door.

"Sir Henry, dinner's ready…" Henry heard Rika say after she knocked the door.

"Okay. I'll be right there…" Henry answered back. _I wonder what she cooked for me today…_

When Henry went down, he immediately smelled Rika's cooking.

_Wow. It smells good! _He thought.

When he arrived at the dinner table, it turned out that Rika cooked Chinese food for him. He then sat down, prayed and began to eat.

_Rika still knows how to cook Chinese very well… No wonder why I chose the right girl to play as my wife!_

"Uh, Sir Henry, I'm going to return to my room…" Henry heard Rika say.

Henry coughed a little and spoke up. "You sit here…" he said while pointing to the chair in front of him.

Rika was surprised. "And why?" she asked. _Okay, Rika. Pretend that you heard nothing from Jeri! Remember, just play cool and get a timing to ask Henry about what he did!_

"Sit here…" Henry instructed Rika, pointing to a chair in front of him.

Rika had no choice but to obey. As Henry's maid, she has to do everything what he has to say.

"And what will I do?" Rika asked Henry as she sat down.

Henry suppressed a smile. "You'll have to watch me eat…" he said with a suppressed smile.

Rika then looked away. _You really changed, Henry. You used to be the kindest guy I know. First, you sought help from Jeri in getting me back… And now, you're the one who's starving me to death! What's the next thing you're going to do? Knock me up without my knowledge?_

"And you'll have your turn to have dinner after I finish…" Henry added.

Rika only nodded. She never said a single word when Henry continued eating. _Oh great._

"So, how's my dear wife after almost three years?" Henry said casually.

"I thought I'm your maid, Sir Henry!" Rika countered sarcastically. "If you're asking me then I'll say that I'm fine… and… I finally found someone better than you so we need to process the divorce now…"

"What?!" Henry exclaimed.

"Yeah… I found someone better than you so we need to process the divorce now…" Rika repeated.

Henry coughed a bit and stood up. He eventually left Rika on the dining table.

_Wow. He walked out! But, he's totally gullible! As if I would have the nerve to find another man! _Rika thought and laughed at Henry's reaction.

Henry actually went to the living room to think what Rika said to him earlier.

_Did she really mean that? I only wanted her back because I really love her and I wanted to have another chance with her… __And now she wanted me to be separated from her?! _Henry thought. _What did I do to her for me to deserve this? Was it my fault to have her as my wife because I didn't want another woman to be with me at that time?_

His thoughts were interrupted at the tone of Rika's voice who appeared in the living room.

"Sir Henry? Are you done sulking?" Rika asked sarcastically.

"Nope. Why?" Henry answered.

"If you must know, you haven't finished your food… And if you won't mind, I'd feed it to the cat outside…" Rika said dryly.

"No…" Henry said. "I'll finish it…"

"Okay… Sir Henry…" Rika said and shrugged.

Henry eventually stood up and followed Rika to the dining table. After he sat down, he continued eating and eventually finished his food. Rika quietly took the plate and washed it on the sink that was located nearby. When she was finished and arrived at the living room, Henry resumed the conversation.

"You know… You can drop the honorific because we're here at home…" Henry said coolly.

"Even if I'm at home, you're still my boss, Sir Henry!" Rika replied mockingly. "I actually figured out what you did. You talked to Jeri so you could have her agree to what you're saying and you could have a maid who will look after you! You know, I really don't understand why you have to drag me into this mess… I only agreed to marry you before because my guardians were even siding with you!"

"So what? You're going to leave me again? Just like what you did to me almost three years ago?" Henry countered.

"And if I do, what are you going to do, Henry Wong?!" Rika retorted.

"Fine! Let's settle this divorce over in court!" Henry replied with a tinge of anger.

Henry then stormed out of the living room, while Rika went to her own room and she was already laughing.

_That silly Henry never changed! He wants war? I'll give him war! _Rika thought with a smirk.

* * *

The next day, Rika woke up earlier than usual. Now that she is living in their conjugal home, she has to wake up otherwise she might be late, especially Henry has a tendency to make several requests at the same time.

_Peace offering? __What did I do wrong for him to have a peace offering?! _Rika wondered. _Oh yeah. The "I'm leaving" thing._

Rika stood up and went to the kitchen to cook food for Henry. Surprisingly, she saw Henry who was up as well.

"What are you doing here?" Rika asked suspiciously. _Was it a miracle that Henry didn't oversleep today?__  
_

"What does it look like? Don't I have the right to have coffee here in the kitchen?" Henry said curtly.

Rika shrugged. "Fine… Have it your way, Sir Henry…" she said. _Wow. He's the one who's getting hot-headed today. Something new because he's already a president of the company._

Henry could see that Rika went to cook their food already. He felt a pang of sadness as he remembered their conversation last night.

**FLASHBACK:**

"So, how's my dear wife after almost three years?" Henry said casually.

"I thought I'm your maid, Sir Henry!" Rika countered sarcastically. "If you're asking me then I'll say that I'm fine… and also… I finally found someone better than you so we need to process the divorce now…"

"What?!" Henry said.

"Yeah… I found someone better than you so we need to process the divorce now…" Rika repeated.

**END OF FLASHBACK**

"Rika, are you still willing to push through with the divorce?" Henry asked Rika sullenly.

Rika felt a pang of sympathy for Henry. Actually she only told him last night that she wanted a divorce because of the information that she acquired from Jeri about the exchange with Henry.

"I… I don't know…" Rika answered. "If you're not happy with me anymore, then we'll settle this… After all, this was just only to show your family that you can accept their request…"

"Just… Give me a little more time to think about this, okay?" Henry asked. _I knew it… She really had the divorce in her mind! What am I going to do to make her forget it?_

"Okay…" Rika answered.

Rika noticed that Henry looked sad. She began to smile after realizing that Henry must have been cleaning his conscience.

_He's really getting serious with the divorce… _Rika thought to herself.

Rika eventually started cooking Henry's breakfast. She decided to make it delicious so that Henry would have a nice memory with her around before they get "divorced".

She then laid everything on the table including the food that Henry was going to eat. She called Henry so he can eat while she prepares for work.

"Sir Henry, just call me after you finish, okay?" Rika said to Henry as he sat down.

Henry stopped for a moment and looked at Rika, who was about to leave.

"Aren't you going to have breakfast with me, Rika?" Henry offered.

"What? You actually want to have breakfast with me?" Rika asked, taken aback.

"Yes… Why?" Henry asked dubiously at the woman standing in front of him.

"I thought masters should have breakfast first before the slaves!" Rika remarked dryly.

"Are you just going to stand there and talk all morning?!" Henry chuckled in front of her. _She really looks cute when she's mad!_

Rika shrugged not because of Henry's reply but because of the hunger that she was experiencing right now.

"Fine… Sir Henry!" she managed to say to him. _I'm really hungry already. Good thing he had let me eat breakfast today._

Rika sat down and to her surprise, Henry was even placing a plate full of rice for her!

_Wow. He's getting sweet all of a sudden… if I ask him about this, then he'll just only laugh because it's only for show! But naturally, Henry's really sweet. Being moody might just be an aftershock of waking up in a different house._

"Thanks, Sir…" Rika said sheepishly. _I really have no idea on what to say to him next. _

"No problem, Rika…" Henry smiled.

Then the two wordlessly ate their food. When the other was not looking, the other would look at the other. Henry and Rika kept that up until they finished eating. When they finished simultaneously, they accidentally saw each other looking at one another. With that, both of them blushed and looked away.

_Oh no, Rika! Why are you engaging in a staring contest with Henry? You have to play the antagonist so that your plan will take place! _Rika thought, trying to drive away her blush.

_I never expected she would look at me directly… I just love the way she does that… _Henry thought as he looked at the woman in front of him and smiled to himself.


	6. Let's Play Tricks

**Author's Note: **Hi! I'm back to writing because my exams are finished for now. So, I'll update once again. This is Chapter 4. Beware for possible OOCs.

Again, I don't own the characters and digimon. Only the storyline is mine. Please read and review! Thanks a lot! :D

* * *

**Chapter 6: Let's Play Tricks**

That morning, Henry and Rika simultaneously got out of their house. Henry was wearing his formal corporate suit while his wife Rika was wearing a yellow short-sleeved blouse with a black skirt while wearing her hair in its usual style. Henry was stunned at Rika's appearance.

"Am I the first one to tell you that you look gorgeous today?" Henry asked with a grin.

Rika snorted. "Unfortunately, yes, Sir Henry…"

Rika glanced at her watch. It was already 8:27 and they had not yet boarded their car. She was worried that Miss Matsumoto would be the one to fire her because of her tardiness for today. Henry noticed her glum face.

"What's wrong, Rika?" Henry asked.

"Maids shouldn't share problems with their masters, you know?!" Rika commented sarcastically. She was actually trying her best to reject Henry's efforts for her.

Henry only chuckled with Rika's comment.

"It's only early in the morning, Rika… Why are you so grumpy today?" Henry said soothingly and laid his right arm around her.

Rika blushed at the contact and eventually looked away.

"I… uh…" Rika said, trying her best to recover, and looked at Henry through her. "We have to… get moving…"

"Why?" Henry asked her directly.

Rika looked away once again to avert Henry's gaze. Henry used his first two fingers in order to get Rika to talk to him.

"Tell me…" Henry said after turning Rika's head in front of him and looking straight into her eyes.

"I… uh… I might get fired by Miss Matsumoto for being late…" Rika said. _I'm such a tattletale!_

Henry chuckled with Rika's reason. "Is that it?"

"It may sound idiotic but it really was…" Rika answered.

"She can't fire you… She may be your supervisor but I'm still levels higher than her… Don't worry too much, Rika…" Henry smiled.

"Fine, Sir Henry…" Rika answered. _Whew. I felt relieved… for a while._

"Shall we go?" Henry offered and opened his door for Rika.

Rika entered the car afterwards and Henry followed suit. A few minutes later, they were traveling towards their office. But then again, none of them spoke to each other for the rest of the travel.

When they arrived at the office, Rika looked at her watch. It was 8:50.

_Phew! With ten minutes to spare!_ Rika thought.

"Rika…" Henry said.

"Yes, Sir?" Rika asked nervously. Now that they were in the office, Rika was ready for further instructions.

"Nothing… Just take care, okay?" Henry reminded her.

Rika shrugged. _I even thought of what he'll say! At least, he still cares… as a friend. _

Rika made her way towards the elevators when she spotted Miss Takara Matsumoto.

"Well, Rika! You seemed to be improving with your attendance!" Miss Matsumoto said, noticing that she and Rika arrived at the same minute.

"Let's say that time's really on my hands today, Miss Matsumoto…" Rika replied sarcastically.

"I hope that will continue, Rika!" Miss Matsumoto said.

_Oh sure… Until you learn who I really am… _Rika thought. "Thanks…" she added.

The supervisor and the employee made no further remarks as persons from every floor came and left. They kept that up until they reached the third floor.

When they arrived, they saw Aimi and Sakura holding some papers in the lobby.

"Aimi! Sakura! What's up?" Rika asked her two teammates.

"We're here waiting for Ma'am Shibasaki… We're in dire need of her signatures!" Aimi said.

"Wow… Good luck to you, girls!" Miss Matsumoto said dryly. "Come on, Rika…"

Rika only shrugged and followed Miss Matsumoto so that she can also go to her own cubicle.

"I hope that you'll finish this by noon, Rika…" Miss Matsumoto said to Rika.

Rika only nodded. Miss Matsumoto took that as a sign for her to leave.

_This day turned out to be as good as I thought… _Rika thought. _But what really happened to Takara? Did she meet up with a witch that's why she became so friendly today?_

Rika then turned on her computer in order to continue everything what she has been doing for the past two days.

Meanwhile, Henry was still near the parking lot when he remembered Rika.

_Rika… Even if I tried to act surly in front of you, I can't beat you… _Henry thought. _I guess, this would be my starting point to get back with her. _

Then, instantly, he had a plan. He then went to a nearby flower shop.

After doing so, Henry brought the bouquet of roses inside his office. He then saw his messenger.

"Uh… Raiden? Can you please bring this to a girl in the third floor?" Henry requested.

"What's her name, Sir?" the messenger named Raiden asked.

"Rika Wong…" Henry replied.

"Wow, Sir! You really catch beautiful chicks every day!" Raiden teased.

"Nope… She's actually my FRIEND…" Henry added. "Can you please give it to her in discreet?"

"Okay, Sir!" the messenger said.

Rika was typing some papers when all of a sudden, she was called again by Henry.

_"Rika, stop what you're doing right now…"_ Henry said to Rika. He actually used his phone to talk to her.

"What?" Rika asked. "I can't stop right now! It's ninety-nine percent finished already!"

_"Hm… Okay… When you're finished, come up here in the fifth floor… I need to see you in my office immediately…"_ Henry ordered.

_Ugh! What now, Henry?! I'm trying to work here!_ Rika thought in disdain. _Can't you work without you calling me?_

_"Do I make myself clear, Miss Wong?"_ Henry pointed out.

"Fine… I'm going…" Rika said sullenly and hung up the phone.

Rika finished what she was doing and stood up when she saw Miss Matsumoto heading towards her way.

"Rika? What's up with you?" Miss Matsumoto asked crisply.

"Mister Wong wanted to see me again…" Rika explained. "By the way, my job's done!"

"Wow… You may not be a supervisor but I sure envy you because you get to see the new big boss for four straight days already!" Miss Matsumoto said sarcastically.

"Why do I always have trips to the principal's office?!" Rika groaned.

"I don't know, girl! You're on your own!" Miss Matsumoto chuckled. "Maybe, Sir Henry has a crush on you already because you've been dropping by his office for days!"

_Henry crushing on me? __In my dreams. __But, yeah right. He's already my husband! _Rika thought again.

Rika then went to the elevator that would take her to the fifth floor once again.

_Stupid Henry… _Rika thought. _Now I can't really work in peace because of him! Urrrgghhh!_

When Rika arrived at Henry's office, she was surprised that she saw Mika once again.

"Rika? Have you counted with your fingers how many times you had been dropping by Henry's office since Monday?" Mika asked Rika.

"I really don't know…" Rika shrugged. "I can't even believe it myself! Anyway, where's he?"

"He's actually inside…" Mika explained. "… and waiting for you."

"Oh no…" Rika groaned.

"Good luck, girl!" Mika cheered Rika up.

Rika looked to see Henry who was already seated by his desk.

"Sir Henry?" Rika asked casually. Because she lived already with him, she already regained her composure whenever she was talking to him.

"Rika…" Henry said. "Have a seat…"

"What?" Rika asked as she sat down in front of Henry's desk.

"I need you to work under me strictly today…" Henry said. "I need a typist…"

Rika's eyes went wide as plates. _What? The typist of a president of a company? Has Henry gone insane?_

"What?" Rika asked, disbelieving what she heard. "You can't be serious, Sir!"

"Yes… You're going to be my typist for today…" Henry replied. "No buts… because my secretary is currently on leave for today…"

Rika had no choice. Henry was her boss at home and in the office.

"Fine…" Rika said sullenly.

Henry gave her a list of things to be typed. Rika's eyes went wide with them.

_Oh great! _She thought as she saw what Henry just laid in front of her.

"When is this due then?" Rika asked curtly.

"Maybe tomorrow… If you're quick enough, you can give it to me today…" Henry said.

Rika then took the folder with her and then turned away. "Okay."

_Wow… Wonder what's with Henry today? First, he was sweet during breakfast and now, he's somehow terror regarding my job. Well at least, I'm still working… __Somehow, Henry's task seemed lighter than what I was supposed to do…_

Henry chuckled after Rika closed the door.

"I never knew that my wife could be really serious and dedicated with regards to her job…" he mused.

Rika's thoughts already traveled a mile when she finally reached her cubicle with all the files that Henry gave her. She was surprised when she found Raiden, a messenger, who brought a bouquet of roses.

"Uh, Miss Wong? This is for you…" Raiden declared and handed them to Rika.

Rika was surprised that Raiden brought a bouquet of roses. "Who's this from?" she asked.

"Well… Some kind of guy wanted to give this to you…" Raiden said.

"Oh… Thanks…" Rika said. _Great. I've got so many problems already and I lost count! Henry and the files and an unknown stalker with a bouquet of roses! What's next?_

Rika then started to work immediately. She was interrupted when she heard her phone ring. When she opened the phone, Rika found out that Henry was calling.

_"Rika…" _Henry's voice came from the other line.

"Hello, Sir? Do you need anything more?" Rika asked immediately, sensing what Henry wanted to imply.

_"What are you talking about, Rika?" _Henry asked, chuckling.

"Then what is it?" Rika asked. "If you want me to finish this today, you might as well drop the call immediately, Sir!"

_"I was just asking if you received the red roses…"_ Henry answered.

Rika stopped for a moment and blushed. "Was it you?" she asked nervously.

_"Yeah…" _Henry replied._ "Surprised?"_

"Somehow…" Rika answered and blushed because along with the files to be typewritten, Henry just gave her a bouquet of roses. "Anyway, thanks…"

_"Sure… Just for you…"_ Henry chuckled. _"I should see them at home tonight, okay?"_

"Okay, fine…" Rika said.

When Rika hung up the phone, she smiled because she never knew how romantic Henry could get. But she remembered that Henry still has to pay for the little trick he did to Jeri.

_Even though you had been kind to me for the rest of the day, I shall get my turn to play a trick on you… I still haven't got even with this maid set-up of yours, Henry Wong!_

Rika was already typing the first two folders when all of a sudden, Aimi burst into her cubicle.

"RIKA!" Aimi said cheerfully.

"Aimi! You almost gave me a heart attack!" Rika said, holding to her chest.

"What are you doing? And how come you had so many papers to type?!" Aimi asked.

"Oh it's nothing… Some outside element requested me to type these things…" Rika lied.

"Oh… How about the thing that Ma'am Matsumoto asked you do? Was it done already?" Aimi asked.

"Oh yes… It's done already… I hate to admit it…" Rika answered. "How about you?"

"It's done also… Man! Sakura could really get her ass down just for a promotion!" Aimi said. "You should also be promoted!"

"And why?!" Rika asked suspiciously.

"Because you've been the most diligent girl here in this department! When was the week that you had to stay until eight just to finish a certain activity here?" Aimi pointed out.

"Oh I don't know…" Rika said. "I'm not running after it actually…"

_Because I'm already the wife of the CEO… So most probably I'd be dubbed as the assistant to the CEO! And that hurts! _Rika concluded in her mind.

"You're such a humble girl! No wonder guys like Masato roam over you!" Aimi praised her.

Rika only laughed.

"Well… I'd better finish typing these…" Rika said.

"Okay!" Aimi replied and went away.

After a few more hours, Rika was already done with the first two folders. She had to deal with the other four folders and if she does not finish it all, she will have to continue it tomorrow.

"Henry said that I can submit this by tomorrow…" Rika said to herself after looking and fixing her entire work in the computer. "But I wanted to finish these today so I could sit back and relax tomorrow…"

A couple of hours later, Rika eventually finished her typing job. When she looked at her watch, it was already 4:15 in the afternoon.

_Goodness… Time sure flies when you're having fun! _Rika thought dryly._ This might be the start of his reign as Henry, the president of the company… But first things first, I should plan my not-so-sweet little revenge today…_

After thinking for several minutes, Rika had an idea. She felt that it was so good so she decided to go home since she already surpassed the office hours.

"Rika!" Rika heard Aimi call her.

"Yes, Natsuke?" Rika asked.

"I'll join you in leaving the office… Sakura's going on a date with her high school friends!" Aimi answered.

Rika only nodded. She grabbed her bag, fixed her table and left. "Let's go, Aimi!" she said.

Rika and Aimi left the building. Aimi hailed a taxi because she has to visit her cousin.

"Hey, Rika! I'm gonna go now!" Aimi said. "See you tomorrow!"

"Yeah sure!" Rika said dully and waited for a taxi of her own. When the taxi arrived, Rika rode inside and she was thankful that the red roses were easily concealed.

After an hour, Rika arrived and eventually prepared dinner for Henry because she wanted to execute her plan as quickly as possible.

"That Henry won't notice a thing…" Rika chuckled deviously as she fumbled something in her drawer.

After an hour, Henry arrived at his home to spend time with Rika not as his maid, but as his wife. He found the dining table laid with his favorite dinner but there was no sight of Rika yet the roses were in the vase.

"She did keep her promise…" Henry mused as he saw the red roses he gave Rika earlier.

When he went to Rika's room, he found the auburn-haired woman lying on the side of her bed and smiled to himself.

"Good night, Rika…" Henry said and placed the blanket all over Rika's body.

Eventually, he went outside of Rika's room and he went to the dining table so he could eat. Because of what Henry saw in Rika's room, he decided to wash the dishes himself. After doing so, he changed his clothes and went to his room.

Meanwhile, Rika noticed that Henry went to her room. She smiled to herself because Henry did not see the kimono that was already hanging behind the door.

* * *

It was already past twelve midnight yet Henry could not sleep. He needed to sleep because he had a business proposal to show in front of the other executives of the company in the morning. But his mind was definitely on something else… or someone else…

_I thought about Rika actually… She might be tired that's why she slept ahead of me… __But I don't mind. Who wouldn't get tired with typing papers? __They say that I was lucky because I married her… She's sweet, kind and nice… Well, to some, they won't agree… But she really is a nice wife to me…_

Then Henry heard an unusual sound.

_What's that? _Henry thought.

Henry figured that the sound came from the balcony. He went there to investigate as the cry became louder every second.

_Was that Rika? No. She doesn't want anyone to see her cry. It can't be from her!_

"Who's that?! Rika?" Henry asked.

Henry received no answer and saw a woman who was crying. To Henry, it was a woman. He eventually went outside to figure who that was. The woman was wearing a white kimono and had long hair covered in her face.

Then the wind blew even harder. Henry felt willies as he felt the wind through his tan skin.

_What the heck is this? I never got scared for once in my life why there is a ghost?!_

"Uhm… Miss?" Henry asked.

The woman was still crying while turning around. When she turned around to face Henry, she immediately glowed. Henry turned pale afterwards.

_I'd better run! A ghost! Why's there a ghost here?! __Where's that Rika? __Why don't I go down and sleep in her room?_

Henry grew terrified. He did not know what to do! _Daaaaamn!_

"Daaaamnnnnn!" Henry exclaimed while running to and fro.

Eventually, there was laughter coming from the balcony. Henry deduced that something was fishy going on inside his house.

_Wait! Earlier, a cry… Now, a sound of laughter… _

The sounds of laughter only grew harder every second.

_What's that? A crazy ghost? __What the heck? I recognize that laugh!_

Henry concluded that the laugh came only from one person.

_RIKAAAAAAAAAAAA!_

Rika eventually threw fits of laughter. She could not control it because she finally scared Henry for the first time.

_I can't believe it! When I faced him, he was so funny! __Even my lighting up was really funny! My effects are at great timing! __Besides, my former room and Henry's room are sharing the balcony so I used that path to get here! He even didn't notice the exhaust fan that I used in the balcony for the wind!_

Rika still laughed as she remembered how she got the kimono.

_This kimono was the one my mother wore during a festival here in Shinjuku… and also, I was standing on a chair so he didn't even notice…__As well as the light under my kimono… __Hahahaha! Sweet revenge! That's what you get after conspiring with Jeri just to get me here! __So it would also take a best friend and a wife to reveal Henry's fear!_

But Rika was looking at Henry who was already standing near his door and looking also at Rika.

_My goodness! Henry's going to be mad at me! Well he's not going to… He's actually mad at me! _Rika thought as she took a glance at Henry.

Rika let out another laugh when she remembered Henry's expression earlier. The laugh became harder until Henry caught on to his wife's antics.

"Stop it, Rika…" Henry said plainly.

Rika did not stop. She even laughed harder than now.

Because of that, Henry motioned towards Rika so she could stop laughing already. Yet, half of him did not want to stop Rika from laughing because he only found her smile and laughter rare. However, he felt completely embarrassed because Rika scared the wits out of him.

"I told you to stop it, Rika!" Henry said firmly but the blush was already showing.

"I'm sorry, Henry… But I really can't!" Rika said in between laughs.

Henry then grasped for Rika's shoulder, pulled her closer to him and…

He kissed her fully in the lips while his left hand held Rika's chin while his right hand held her left shoulder as she faced him.

Rika was taken aback with Henry's sudden move and she did not even fight it. _What on earth did he do that for?_

Henry felt pleasure with his lips touching hers for a couple of minutes while holding to Rika's chin. Both of them had a warm feeling that coursed through their bodies. But it was new to them because, during their own wedding, they only kissed briefly and it had meant nothing for the two of them because they were only friends.

When they broke apart from the kiss, Rika felt dazed but her heart was beating wildly.

Henry moved again towards Rika closer than earlier this time. Afterwards, he then pressed his lips again onto Rika's with Rika finally giving in and slowly kissing him back. He placed his arms around Rika while Rika's hands slowly traveled his back.

When they broke apart once again, Rika was still feeling dazed and did not know how long Henry had kissed her this time. Henry was looking at Rika after they kissed.

_I don't know why I'm currently making out with Henry… But he's the one I fell in love with… And now… I'm getting confused… Why did he do that?!_

_What's wrong with him kissing you? You're his wife, remember? _– Rika's other half of her mind thought.

_But he treats me as if I'm his maid! _– Rika also thought again.

_But… –_ the other half argued again.

Rika was still dazed because she had been focusing on her thoughts once again. _Oh no!_

"Sir Henry…" Rika said after she recovered from the kiss while trying not to blush. "I-I'll go back down…"

Rika then ran away and went towards her former room. When she closed the door, she began to feel embarrassed because of the fact that Henry had kissed her earlier.

_I wonder what he's thinking now! _Rika thought and blushed madly after thinking about that kissing incident.


	7. Uncertainties

**Author's Note: **Hello! I'm updating again! This is Chapter 4.

I don't own digimon. Please read and review! Thanks! :)

* * *

**Chapter 7: Uncertainties**

That morning, Rika woke up at 6:35. She decided to cook something for Henry something Japanese this time.

_Maybe it would be best for him to taste the dish I learned very recently… Back when I was living my bachelorette life with Jeri…_

After doing so, Rika eventually finished the food that she was cooking and laid the table with the utensils as well as the food. She could hear footsteps and concluded that Henry just got down from his room. She blushed after remembering what occurred at the balcony earlier.

_Ugh! What am I gonna do?! Last night has been totally embarrassing! _Rika thought. _I wonder what he's going to say! I feel awkward already even if I'm not seeing him face to face!_

Rika immediately ran towards the kitchen to prevent any embarrassment that she might feel but tiptoed slowly towards the dining area but thankfully, her steps were not loud enough for Henry to hear. She could see that Henry was not even talking.

_Ugh! It's so awkward! I wish that I could melt into the ground right now! _Rika thought again.

"Aren't you going to have breakfast with me, Sweetheart?" Henry asked Rika while he was eating.

The endearment caused Rika's silence and blushed. Thankfully, Henry did not see her blush this time. But she shrugged off the thought of calling each other some nicknames.

_Sweetheart. Just because we made out earlier doesn't mean we'll get all cuddly and cute all along… But… I don't know… For now, I'll just simply play hard-to-get…_

"Sweetheart your face, Henry!" Rika said sarcastically as she went towards the maid's quarters.

Henry only laughed after Rika made her walk-out from him.

When Rika got inside her room, she blushed wildly as if her face turned into a living tomato.

_Oh why, oh why?! Why did that sweetheart thing leave a funny feeling for me? I can't even explain why! That's why I left him in the dining room! _Rika thought while face-palming herself. _Ugh! I need to get my things ready. I really need to use a taxi today just to escape from his clutches!_

Rika took a bath, dressed up quickly with her red blouse and black skirt along with her black flat shoes. She did not even mind to have breakfast because she wanted to go out of the house so badly because of what happened earlier.

It was 7:24 when Rika glanced at her watch.

_At least, if I meet traffic, there won't be a reason for me to get late! _Rika thought.

But as if fate was playing tricks with her, Henry was at the front of their gate waiting for her just like yesterday.

"Come on, Rika…" Henry offered.

Rika did not reply and walked away. She then focused on walking away from Henry.

Henry eventually hopped in his car and started it. He followed Rika as she walked.

"Rika! You better get inside!" Henry said as the car followed every inch of Rika's steps.

Rika did not even reply. She had a hunch on what Henry wanted from her.

"Rika! Don't be such a baby!" Henry shouted playfully to Rika.

"Me?! A baby?! I'm not riding with you! Who knows what you really are going to do to me!" Rika exclaimed dryly.

Rika started walking again with Henry's car moving simultaneously with Rika.

"Come on, Ri. Hop in. I promise. I won't do anything funny to you…" Henry assured.

Rika looked at Henry for a while.

"Really?!" Rika asked with her violet eyes sparkling.

Henry smiled and said, "I promise…"

Eventually he complemented his promise with a raise of his right hand.

Rika eventually relented and hopped inside. Moments after hopping in, she and Henry blushed because of what happened inside their house during the midnight.

_Gosh! I don't want to know what he's thinking right now! He might think that I'm a lovesick girly girl just because I didn't fight his attempts of kissing me! _Rika thought. _This would totally affect my plan to divorce him!_

_I was really embarrassed because Rika was laughing at me last night. But I couldn't take her laughter away. She looked so beautiful when she did that… and still, I actually kissed her! But at least, she didn't pummel me or something… _Henry thought, trying his best to fight his blush. _How am I gonna explain that to her?_

They journeyed to their office for an hour. They arrived at 8:35 in the morning.

"Thank you!" Rika said to Henry after hopping out of their car.

The couple was in the basement because that was where the parking lot was located. Henry and Rika were waiting for the elevator to go down to the basement.

When the elevator stopped in front of them, they went in. Fortunately, there were no other passengers inside so they could do anything freely.

However, the elevator stopped at the ground floor. Rika saw Aimi and mentally panicked because she nearly forgot that she was with Henry as well.

Aimi looked at Rika, then at Henry and finally returned her gaze to Rika. She somehow looked suspicious because she saw the two of them in one elevator.

"Uh Rika, what were you doing in the basement?" Aimi asked Rika.

Rika was surprised with what Aimi said. _Great! I so wanted to kill this girl because of her curiosity!_

"Uh…" Rika said and looked at Henry. _Crap._

Henry averted Rika's gaze and looked sideways.

_How am I going to come up with a lame excuse to Aimi? _Rika thought in disdain. _Oh I know! Let another round of lying begin!_

Aimi was still looking at Rika. She obviously wanted an explanation why Rika came from the basement.

"Uh… You remember my story that Henry and I were friends, right? And, he actually saw me waiting for a taxi so he asked me to hitch a ride with me…" Rika answered with obvious lying. "And I ended up here in the basement with him."

Rika could see Henry who was suppressing his laughter because of her explanation.

_Keep laughing, Henry! _Rika thought dryly. _Keep laughing!  
_

Aimi was still looking at Rika suspiciously.

"Hmm…" Aimi mumbled.

The elevator opened. Rika could see that they were in the third floor already.

_Finally. I'm here in the third floor. __This is actually the number two torture! What if these stupid employees here figure out that Henry and I were husband and wife?! _Rika wondered. _But then again… Until when am I going to keep my identity as the CEO's wife secret? _

Rika shook her head as she went outside of the elevator. She and Aimi went towards their respective cubicles.

Meanwhile, Henry arrived in the office with a smile on his face.

_Oh yeah… They haven't known the woman behind my success! _Henry thought to himself. _Friend… Am I really just a friend to you, Rika? __Oh right… That "no-strings attached" policy… Hahaha._

Meanwhile, Rika found the files that she finished typing yesterday which were lying on top of her table.

_Oh no! I forgot that I have files to be given to Henry! _Rika thought as she saw them. _In short, I spent a week dropping by Henry's office even if it's only his first week here!_

She eventually went to Henry's office even if it means seeing Mika again for the fifth time and Henry as well.

"Hey, Mika!" Rika greeted the receptionist.

"Oh, Rika! Were you called by Sir Henry once again?" Mika chuckled after seeing Rika once again.

"Nope… I came here to return these typewritten papers to him!" Rika answered while showing the folders to Mika.

"Alright. The door's open…" Mika said casually. "You know what, Rika?"

"Yeah, Mika?" Rika asked, feigning interest.

"Ladies here in this floor are already jealous of you! You already caught the attention of our Sir Henry in a span of five days!" Mika remarked.

Rika only shrugged. "I guess I was so bad enough to be called by Sir Henry for several times!" she added.

With that, Rika went inside Henry's office. When she entered, she saw Henry typing something in his laptop.

"Uh… Sir Henry?" Rika called as she went inside.

"Yes, Rika?" Henry tilted his head after being called.

"Here are the files that you had me as your typist yesterday…" Rika said, placing the folders in front of Henry.

"Okay… Just put it there…" Henry instructed, pointing to a vacant space on his desk.

Rika nodded. "I have to go, Sir…" she added.

Rika was about to open the door when Henry called her once again.

"Rika?" Henry said which caught Rika's attention and that made her turn her head to him .

"Yes, Sir?" Rika said respectfully.

"Are you going with someone else for lunch?" Henry asked.

Rika thought for a moment. What if she said no? What if she said yes?

"Uhm… No…" Rika answered.

Henry's face lit up like a Christmas tree after hearing Rika's answer.

"Why?" Rika inquired.

"I just want to have lunch with you today… That's all…" Henry explained. "Hope you won't mind!"

Rika let out a small smile. "Well… Okay…" she said.

"Great… I'll see you at twelve!" Henry smiled at her.

Rika nodded and left Henry's office at once.

When Rika was completely out of his office, Henry smiled to himself and resumed what he was doing in his laptop.

Meanwhile, Rika returned to her cubicle. Unfortunately, she found Masato who was waiting for her there.

"Rika!" Masato called out.

_Oh no… It's Masato! Henry would get jealous again if he sees me with him! _Rika thought.

"Oh, hey, Masato!" Rika said, faking her cheerfulness.

"So, would you like to have lunch with me?" Masato offered.

Rika immediately remembered what Henry said to her earlier. She already agreed to his offer.

"Uh… Sorry, Masato… I'm going with someone later…" Rika said. "Why don't you ask Ma'am Matsumoto? She's free!"

Miss Matsumoto somehow heard Rika's comment. "Rika, I heard what you said!" she said.

"Sorry, Miss Matsumoto!" Rika said dryly. "I'm not free this lunch."

"Aww…" Masato said. "Who are you going with today?"

_The president of this company! _Rika thought. "Just a friend…"

Aimi began to go inside the conversation. "A friend? You mean…"

Rika clamped Aimi's mouth in alarm. "Aimi!" she reprimanded.

"Oh sorry!" Aimi said nervously.

"Right… You sure ladies are okay?" Masato asked.

"Yeah! We're fine!" Aimi and Rika said in unison.

"Okay! I'll ask someone else!" Masato replied. "I know Rika had many suitors before me so she probably accepted the one who asked her out today… Besides, beautiful ladies like Rika always go out with the handsome ones!"

_Are you serious, Masato? _Rika thought dryly. _Or were you just really kidding?_

It happened that Sakura just arrived in the scene and found Masato and her two teammates.

"Okay, Masato! We're currently busy, okay?" Sakura said while dragging Masato away from Aimi and Rika. "I'll be willing to go with you for lunch!"

"Thanks a lot, Sakura!" Masato said cheerfully.

Aimi and Rika heaved sighs of relief after Sakura drove Masato away successfully. When Masato was completely out of sight, Sakura rejoined her two teammates after handing a paper to Miss Matsumoto.

"Thanks a lot, Sakura!" Rika and Aimi said in unison.

"No problem, girls! I know that Rika's already fed up with Masato bugging her!" Sakura chuckled.

"Rika! Why didn't you let me tell that you have Henry as a friend here in the office?" Aimi pointed out.

Rika shrugged. "It's better that only you and Sakura know that, Aimi!" she said.

Aimi shrugged. "Oh well… We can't blame Rika for being friendly… She's also pretty!" she added.

"Yeah! Very pretty! Even the boss must have been struck by Rika's beauty! Did you drop by his office by chance, Rika?" Sakura said.

"Yeah… Today…" Rika explained. "It's nothing personal… It's just business…"

"Okay! We may never know!" Aimi said.

"Lucky I'm in love with my best friend!" Sakura continued.

"Girls, can we work now? You don't want Miss Matsumoto to go rounding us up, right?" Rika reminded in order for the girls to stop talking about her and Henry.

"Oh right! Let's go to work, Yamamoto!" Aimi urged.

"Right behind you, Natsuke!" Sakura said.

Rika started to work again as she sat down. _At least, I'll be doing this for myself… Not for Henry… or Miss Matsumoto! _She wondered.

Meanwhile, Henry was finished with his files when he had a phone call. It came from his father, the former Digimon creator Janyuu Wong.

"Hello?" Henry said after starting the call.

_"Henry, it's your dad…" _Mr. Wong said from the other line.

"Hey, Dad! How's it going?" Henry greeted.

_"I'm fine… So, how are you running your newly bought company?" _Mr. Wong asked.

"It's good… It's really weird because this is a famous company here in Shinjuku… Right next to Hypnos, of course!" Henry replied.

_"I hope things turn out well for you… Anyway, your mother and I will be dropping by your house tomorrow… since you told us that you and Rika are together again…" _Mr. Wong said.

"Yeah… Dad… You really mean it?" Henry said with joy.

_"Yes, Henry… Mayumi's with me tomorrow…" _Mr. Wong said. "_So, we're going to see you two tomorrow for lunch… Will that be alright with you?"_

"Sure, Dad… No problem at all! I bet you'd love to see your beautiful daughter-in-law after two years!" Henry grinned.

_"Yes, we will…" _Mr. Wong chuckled. "_Anyway, I have to go… Your mother's waiting for me…"_

"Just say hi to her for me… Bye!" Henry said.

Just before Henry could even place his phone on the desk, he heard another phone call.

"Huh?" Henry asked. "Hello?"

_"Henry!" _Henry was surprised. It was Mrs. Rumiko Nonaka who was on the other line. _"It's your mother-in-law!"_

"Hi, 'Mom'! What made you call?" Henry answered.

_"__Well, I heard from Mother that you and Rika found each other again…"_ Mrs. Nonaka said. "_We're just going to drop by and see you lovebirds tomorrow!"_

_Wow. What a family reunion! _Henry thought. "That's great, 'Mom'!" he added.

"_So, are you with Rika or are you working right now?"_ Mrs. Nonaka asked as well.

"Uh… Both… I'll just tell her that we talked over the phone…" Henry replied.

_"__A__lright. Bye and see you guys tomorrow! Oh I can't wait to see you two again!"_ Mrs. Nonaka squealed.

"Sure! We'll see you too, 'Mom'!" Henry said. "Bye!"

Henry finally dropped the call and placed his phone on his desk. He then resumed what he was currently doing.

Later, Henry called Rika to remind him of their lunch date for today at twelve noon.

Meanwhile, Rika was busy typing her narrative reports when she heard her phone ring.

"Hello?" Rika said.

_"__Rika, remember your lunch with me? You promised!"_ Henry chuckled.

"Oh alright!" Rika said. "Wait for me…"

_"__Okay__…"_ Henry replied. "_See you!"_

Rika put down her cellphone and finished typing already. _Well, I stood him up last Monday… I guess this would be it…_

When Rika was already at the ground floor, she saw Henry who was waiting for her in the lobby.

"Sir Henry…" Rika said.

"Rika…" Henry smiled. "I'm glad you accepted and came today…"

"Yeah sure…" Rika answered.

"So what do you want to eat?" Henry asked Rika.

"Anything… You decide…" Rika answered.

Henry then settled that they eat in a Japanese restaurant. In a few minutes, he and his wife reached the restaurant.

Rika's stomach let out a loud growl. She eventually blushed afterwards.

"Hungry, aren't we?" Henry teased.

"You would be too if you had been working your asses for the last five minutes!" Rika retorted.

"Come on… No need to get mad!" Henry said good-naturedly.

Rika only smiled wryly because of Henry's comment.

When they sat down, the two were immediately greeted by a waitress who gave them separate menus.

"Good afternoon!" the waitress began. "What would you like to have?"

Henry was the first one to order. "I'll have a yakitori…" he said. "How about you, Ri?"

Rika's eyes did not leave the menu until she settled for one item. "I'll have a yakiniku…" she said.

"Okay!" the waitress said and took the menus again.

Henry decided to relay to his wife about the conversations that he had with his father and mother-in-law.

"Rika… Your mom and grandmother will go and see us tomorrow…" Henry said.

Rika coughed a bit. She would see her mother and grandmother after her two years of absence?

"What?! My mom?! And grandma?!" Rika exclaimed. "You've got to be kidding me!"

"Nope… I'm not… Even my own parents will drop by and see us…" Henry replied.

"Wow…" Rika said unenthusiastically. _I'm really happy to see my guardians… I missed them so much after my leaving for two years!_

"So, what happened and why the glum face?" Henry chuckled.

"Just… surprised…" Rika answered. "Well… I'm really surprised that they'll visit us…"

The couple's food eventually arrived after minutes of chatting. Afterwards, they ate and Henry paid the bill.

"So, I'll see you again at home…" Henry said after dropping Rika off to the lobby.

"Where are you going anyway?" Rika asked.

"I'm going to my meeting… Take care, will you, Miss Wong?" Henry smiled. "Or Mrs. Wong?"

Rika smiled dryly because of the honorific. "Just go to your meeting, Henry!" she said._  
_

Rika returned to her cubicle and continued what she was doing. For the next few hours, she spent encoding, typing and walking around the halls of the department heads.

"Ugh… I'm so tired!" Rika said to herself.

Just as she sat down in her chair, Rika found a text from Henry.

**"I'll pick you up later so we can go home at the same time." **

"Now I have a driver. Pefect!" Rika said to herself.

And as promised, Henry did pick Rika up at 6:25. Rika hopped in their car so they could finally go home. When they finally got home, Rika went immediately to the direction of the maid's quarters.

"Where are you going, Rika?" Henry asked Rika.

"To my room?" Rika asked as well.

Henry only laughed. "Your room is upstairs, not in there…" he said.

Rika grunted as she went upstairs. Just as she was about to enter her own room that was located there, she realized that she forgot something.

_My things are downstairs! __Am I really going to move again? I'm really tired! _Rika thought in disdain. _I'll do it tomorrow… I'd better take a rest so I could wake up early…_

Rika went inside the room and noticed that something was wrong. She was even seeing her own clothes and things.

_Wait! Those are my clothes!_

Rika inspected the closet and found everything was completely there.

_Fine. I'd better fix myself… b__y taking a warm bath! And I badly need it! _Rika thought.

She then grabbed some clothes and her towel and went to the bathroom. But, when she entered the bathroom, she found something that she might possibly like.

Henry was about to remove his pants when Rika entered. And, he had nothing on top!

Rika was surprised and stunned after that.

_Rika! You better get out now! Don't look at his body! _Rika scolded herself. _But on second thought, he really has a nice body that could make any other woman swoon over him._

Rika did not move any further. She was still unconsciously looking at Henry.

"Like what you see?" Henry asked slyly after discovering that Rika has been looking at him.

Rika was surprised with what Henry said and returned to reality. She gave him a death glare, turned around and closed the door.

_Why did I forget the fact that Henry and I were also sharing the same bathroom aside from the balcony?_

Rika could hear Henry laughing. He eventually followed it with a shout. "Rika! Don't take a peek!" he said playfully.

"In your face! I'm not looking at you! Besides, try locking the door next time, will you?" Rika exclaimed.

Henry laughed again.

_Why didn't I move earlier? _Rika thought in disdain.


	8. Family Reunion

**Author's Note: **Hi! Sorry for the late update. I got mixed up with college stuff and whatever last time. But anyway, this is Chapter 8.

To reiterate, I don't own digimon, except the plot. Please read and leave a review. Thanks! :D

* * *

**Chapter 8: Family Reunion**

The next morning, Henry went towards Rika's room so he could wake her up.

"Rika! Rika! Wake up!" Henry said as he knocked her door.

The problem was Rika somehow did not hear him.

But in reality, Rika was still lying on the bed and found herself having great difficulty in sleeping. She could not remove Henry's image from her mind that was why she already slept at around twelve midnight.

_Ugh! Henry! You're making me remind that I saw you topless last night! _She thought. _I'm not going to wake up! _

Because of that, Rika decided to sleep for a couple more hours and put the pillow right next to her head.

Henry knocked again but to no avail. Because he got no answer from Rika, Henry opened the door for Rika and found the auburn-haired woman sleeping soundly with her pillow next to her body.

"Wake up, Sleeping Beauty! Our parents might arrive soon!" Henry said with a grin.

Rika instantly woke up because of that fact. She remembered that her guardians and Henry's parents were coming over to see them.

_So that's why he transferred me here! I didn't even think of that! _Rika thought with amazement.

Rika looked at the clock even if her hair had completely blocked her face. It was already nine in the morning and Rika realized that she was totally late.

_Oh my goodness! I haven't cooked breakfast yet! _She mentally panicked.

"Okay! I'll get up!" Rika replied with a rush. "I'm going to cook as well!"

"And for a change, I cooked something for you…" Henry added. "Just to make your morning good!"

Rika immediately felt anger rising up in her head because of what Henry said.

"What?! You hired me as a maid but you can do things all by yourself?! Is this really a part of your plan to get even with me?!" Rika exclaimed indignantly.

Henry only laughed and eventually left Rika so she could close the door.

"It's not funny, Henry!" Rika retorted. "Seriously!"

But the door opened once again and Henry looked at Rika seriously.

"You need anything more, Henry?" Rika asked, surprised at his return. _What does he want now?_

"Can we pretend in front of our parents that we're still a couple?" Henry asked. "Just like before?"

Rika's eyes went wide with Henry's request. _Oh boy… Here we go again. The pretending-that-we're-couple game!_

"And why?" Rika snapped back.

Henry did not answer and went away completely. With that, Rika shrugged, left the room and went downstairs.

"So I assume that you have eaten…" Rika said as she reached the living room.

"Yes…" Henry answered while being seated. "You better eat now… Our parents might arrive here!"

Rika grunted and made her way towards the dining table. She found that Henry cooked her favorite dumpling.

_I admit that he cooks great… __I could really say that I'm lucky he's my so-called husband… _Rika thought as she ate her breakfast. _Stop it, Rika! Focus on your plan!_

Rika eventually finished eating and washed the dishes. Afterwards, she got some clothes from her closet and went to the bathroom so she could take a bath.

_Stupid Henry… He's always hindering my plans! _Rika thought while rinsing her hair. _What could possibly happen this time with this family reunion anyway? _

After rinsing her hair for one more time, Rika wrapped the towel around her hair and changed into her blue shirt and black shorts. Right after that, Rika finally removed the towel and combed her hair and let it dry so there would be no hassle while she would be cooking.

Now that everything was ready for her, she began to prepare the ingredients so she could cook for her guardians and her in-laws.

_Sure it's been a while… I wonder how my mother changed after my disappearance… As well as Grandma… I've been keeping my pride high ever since I left Henry… Because of that and also not telling how I really feel about Henry, I… don't know… what's bound to happen to me…_

Rika focused on cooking the dish she learned when she was living with Jeri. She wanted her relatives and Henry's family to taste something different this time. She was cooking the tempura that she tried so hard to master during her days with Jeri in the condominium unit.

She had been in the kitchen for an hour because she wanted everything to turn out the way she planned. Because she was so busy with it, she did not notice Henry coming inside.

"Is everything done, Sweetheart?" Henry asked Rika who was busy mixing all of the ingredients in one frying pan.

"Isn't it obvious, Henry?! Sheesh!" Rika replied curtly. "And since when did you start calling me names, huh?"

"Since the day I married you…" Henry chuckled.

Rika blushed but eventually fought it. She eventually gave Henry a death glare and continued what she was doing. Henry only laughed at his wife's reaction.

"I'll see you inside, Rika…" Henry said while walking towards the dining room.

"Yeah yeah whatever, Henry…" Rika answered.

Rika was already finished with what she was cooking when she heard the doorbell ring.

_They're here! _Rika thought. _Even if I became a bad daughter for them, I really missed them… Two years of no contact with them is already long enough for me. _

Rika instantly ran towards the door and found Henry who opened it for her mother and grandmother.

"Mom! Grandma!" Rika said and went to her mother and grandmother.

"Rika! My baby girl!" Mrs. Nonaka said to Rika cheerfully.

"Rika! How are you?" Grandma Seiko asked Rika with a smile.

"I'm fine…" Rika answered and hugged her mother and her grandmother. "How are you guys?"

"We're fine, dear. We really missed you!" Grandma Seiko answered pleasantly.

Henry watched his wife hug his in-laws. After the women of three generations exchanged pleasantries, he spoke up.

"Let's go inside…" Henry said.

Henry and the three ladies entered the living room. Afterwards, Mrs. Nonaka and Grandma Seiko sat down, leaving Rika to tell what happened to her during the time her marriage with Henry was on hiatus.

"And they mistook you as a single lady, Rika?" Mrs. Nonaka squealed. "I knew it! My daughter's really beautiful!"

"Unfortunately yeah, Mom…" Rika said dully. "Anyway, I'll set the table so we can eat!"

Rika eventually stood up and decided to go to the kitchen. Just as she was about to go there, she heard the doorbell once again.

This time, it was the Wongs who arrived and Henry was the one who answered the door.

"Henry!" Mrs. Wong greeted pleasantly.

"Mom!" Henry said to his mother. "Where's Dad?"

"Here I am, Henry!" Mr. Wong answered. "How's things?"

"Very good, Dad…" Henry chuckled.

"Where's my beautiful daughter-in-law?" Mrs. Wong asked, chuckling.

Rika only took it as a signal to show herself to the Wongs. She saw her in-laws once again.

"Oh, Rika! I'm so glad that you and Henry had reunited once again!" Mrs. Wong exclaimed and hugged Rika.

"Yeah, Mrs. Wong!" Rika said after Mrs. Wong broke away from her grasp. "Anyway, Mom and Grandma are here as well!"

"I see…" Mrs. Wong said. "This is indeed a family reunion!"

Rika led the way towards the living room wherein the Wongs found Rika's guardians seated there.

"Rumiko!" Mrs. Wong said and hugged Mrs. Nonaka.

"Mayumi! Good to see you!" Mrs. Nonaka exclaimed and returned the hug.

"Grandma Seiko!" Mr. Wong said pleasantly.

"Janyuu! It's nice to see you again!" Grandma Seiko said pleasantly.

"Okay guys… I'm gonna lay the table so we can eat…" Rika said to her guests. "Wait here, alright?"

"I guess you should, Rika!" Henry smirked. "We're getting hungry!"

Rika eventually left for the kitchen. She was already placing the tempura in a large bowl when Henry entered.

"Why are you here? Besides, I'm getting the food ready… You entertain them for a while…" Rika replied.

Henry did not say a word and helped Rika in what she was doing. Rika did not even mind having extra help coming from Henry.

Then, Henry's right hand held Rika's left hand that left Rika looking at him wordlessly. Rika found Henry who took something from his pocket and placed it on her finger. It was Rika's wedding ring.

_My wedding ring… _Rika thought as she saw the ring that was on her finger already. _I remembered that I removed this before I left Henry… which I left along with the note. _

Even if Henry had placed the ring, he still held Rika's hand and stared at the ring thoughtfully.

"Oh right… We need props to portray this effectively…" Rika replied sardonically.

Henry looked at Rika. To Rika, it looked like a glare for her.

_What? It's true right? We're just pretending that our relationship as husband and wife is still as good as before! _Rika thought.

Henry eventually went out of the kitchen and Rika continued getting everything ready.

Eventually, Henry brought his and Rika's parents to the dining table and luckily, Rika was done. After that, all of them were seated in the dining room.

While they were eating, Henry sat down next to Rika and began taking care of her.

_Even if this was for show, I know that Henry still cares a lot for me… as a friend… But this means different because… we're husband and wife… in front of my guardians and his parents… And we're starting this little game once again!_

"Sweetie, just eat a lot, okay?" Henry smiled as he placed food on Rika's plate. "Don't be skinny!"

_You've got to be kidding me! I can't finish this in one sitting! _Rika thought as she saw the plenty contents of her own plate. _And look who's talking! Who's the skinny one among the two of us, Henry?_

As Rika saw her guardians and Henry's parents, they had looks of happiness in their faces.

_You're enjoying my pain! I might get indigestion because of you, Henry! _Rika thought as she saw them. _Curse you, Henry Wong!_

"Sweetie…" Henry said to Rika with a smile. _I know Rika doesn't want to be called Sweetie. But in front of our parents, I have to do so. __  
_

_Sweetie your face! _Rika thought with disgust and gave a sarcastic smile to Henry. _Sweetie. Why did that thing seem to tickle my mind?_

Rika saw that Henry had a spoon full of rice and dumpling and secretly, her eyes widened at him. Yet, Henry only smiled at Rika. Rika also looked sideways to see her grandmother, her mother and Henry's parents who were obviously enjoying at the sight of the couple in front of them.

Rika again smiled at Henry sarcastically and opened her mouth wide to accommodate the food that was on the spoon and Henry fed her all of it.

_Oh my goodness! It won't fit my mouth! You are such a baka, Henry Wong! _Rika thought as her cheeks protruded with the food inside her mouth. _You're stuffing me with everything!_

Rika then took food from her plate using her spoon and fork. She made it sure to get as many as she could and had placed some vegetables on the side. She placed it near Henry's mouth and smiled slyly. Because of that, Henry had nothing to do but to eat it and he did not accommodate them all because they were too many.

Rika wordlessly took it and placed it inside Henry's mouth and smiled at him.

_Hahahaha! What are you going to do now, Henry?! _Rika thought deviously as she gave a sly grin to him.

Henry could not even chew them because they were too many.

Mrs. Nonaka and Grandma Seiko smiled at them. The Wongs also followed suit. They were delighted by the sight of the young couple in front of them.

"By the way…" Mr. Wong started.

Henry and Rika only looked at Mr. Wong after he spoke up.

"Children, you know that we're getting old… Besides, it looks that the two of you are really getting along… When are you going to give us a grandchild?" Mr. Wong continued.

Rika was speechless with what Mr. Wong said.

_Grandchild? Did I hear it correctly? _Rika thought. _Goodness! This is getting worse!_

"We haven't thought of that, Dad…" Henry answered casually.

Rika only listened to the conversation. _What's Henry going to say with this?!_

"But maybe next year, you will finally have a grandchild from us!" Henry answered and smiled at Rika.

Rika only choked because of what Henry said causing him to give her a glass of water.

_Was he serious with what he said?! _Rika thought. _  
_

Rika saw how happy her guardians and her in-laws were when Henry said that.

_Ughh! He's really insane! He's just keeping their hopes up! _Rika thought.

"Yes! Henry and Rika's child will be the first for us and the third one for you, Janyuu!" Grandma Seiko remarked.

"What would be the name?" Mrs. Nonaka mused.

"Or, what would be the gender?" Mrs. Wong added.

_Name? Gender? We're not even making yet! _Rika thought ridiculously.

_But why does it sound like you wanted to? _said Rika's other half of her mind.

_Nooooooooo! I'm certainly not going to be Henry's baby factory! Never in my wildest dreams! Even if he's the one of the most handsome guys in this planet! _Rika concluded in her mind.

Rika realized that she just called Henry handsome in her thoughts.

_Wait, did I just mention he's handsome?! Oh no… This must be it… __And mind you, Henry! It was never a part of the deal that we're going to have kids! _Rika thought deeply. _But then again, that will never happen, Rika! You still have a divorce to plan!_

Rika's mind returned to reality after that and listened to her families' conversation.

"And, Henry? Will it be alright if we stay here in your house for two weeks?" Mr. Wong asked.

"Sure, Dad… You don't need to ask us… This is your house too!" Henry smiled.

"You know… You two just reunited and we might disturb the two of you!" Henry's father said.

_Ugh! I can't stand it! _Rika thought of what Mr. Wong said.

"Dad!" Henry said, feeling embarrassed. _  
_

"Sorry about that, Henry!" Mr. Wong chuckled.

"Anyway, since Janyuu and I are here, we wanted to fix Rika's former room just for our future grandchild…" Mrs. Wong said to the couple.

_Former room? But I'm using it! _Rika thought with surprise.

"Uh… What room?" Rika asked naively. _  
_

Mrs. Wong raised an eyebrow to what Rika said.

"Your former room! Adjacent to Henry's, silly!" Mrs. Wong chuckled. "Don't tell me that you're still using that room?!"

Rika did not speak up. _What am I going to answer? _

"Mom, of course, Rika's already in my room…" Henry answered for Rika. "She's just tired that's why she can't think right…"

Rika can only see that Henry and their parents are laughing right now.

_Thanks for covering up, Henry! You really owe me an explanation later on! _Rika thought to herself as she glanced at Henry first.

Later that afternoon, Henry and Rika bid their parents goodbye. The Wongs will have to get their things from Mayumi's relative.

Just as the Wongs left the house, Rika gave Henry her deadliest glare.

"What? What's with the glare, Rika?" Henry asked dubiously.

"What's with the glare? I'll tell you what's with my glare!" Rika answered angrily.

"Then what?" Henry asked, clueless to how he made Rika mad.

What was that all about?!" Rika yelled.

Henry did not speak a word. Rika only got mad further with his reaction.

"What did you say about them having a grandchild next year? And what were you saying that I'm sleeping in your room?!" Rika asked with a violent tone.

Henry took a deep breath. _  
_

"The only thing they know is that we're okay, right? Have you ever thought of a couple who had separate rooms?" Henry asked, regaining his composure.

Rika felt sullen. _He did have a point. What else should I say?_

But she thought of something else to counter Henry's words.

"But still you shouldn't have told them that they will have grandchild! You're just keeping their hopes up!" Rika retorted. "And, it wasn't part of the deal that we'll have one, you know?!"

Henry did not speak with that and went upstairs. Rika could see that Henry was moving all of her things inside his room.

_He's indeed serious… _Rika thought. _Oh well. I guess I'll have to go with his plans. Stupid him. Always gets what he wants. _

Rika had no choice but to help Henry with the moving. When she entered his room, Rika had an idea.

_Where am I going to sleep? Beside him?! __No way! _She thought after seeing the room. _What is he? A man who got his lucky bet?! Curse him!_

Henry somehow read Rika's mind and spoke up.

"If you want, you sleep on the floor… I'm going to sleep on the bed…" he said.

_I definitely don't want to sleep on the floor! _Rika thought in disdain. _What's bound to happen next? What went to Henry's mind and why did he have to show his parents that we're doing fine?_

Then, Rika remembered the answer to her thoughts and grunted.

_Oh right… The Wongs shouldn't know that this marriage was just a secret deal between me and Henry… I'll be summing up all my sins in just a life!_

When Rika looked at Henry, he was laughing and obviously enjoying with it. Even if she wanted to make Henry happy, still she was not amused with the reason behind it.

_I so wanted to file the divorce right now! This wasn't even turning right! _Rika thought. _But then again, I really don't have a choice… I am going to sleep on the floor rather than something might happen between me and him… that I could regret later on._

Rika's thoughts were shattered when she heard the doorbell again.

"That must be my parents…" Henry said. "I'll get them…"

"I'm going with you…" Rika said. "I don't want to be alone here."

"Then go with me. I won't mind!" Henry replied as he went out of their bedroom. Rika followed suit.

Henry and Rika went downstairs together so they could assist their parents with the bags. Henry opened the door to see the Wongs smiling widely at him.

"Henry… Sorry if we disturbed you guys…" Mr. Wong said while holding his bag.

"No, it's okay, Dad! Come inside!" Henry answered good-naturedly.

"Thank you, Henry!" Mr. Wong smiled as he held his bag and went inside the house.

Henry and Rika led the Wongs to the guest room so they could unpack and the young couple returned to their room.

When they returned to their bedroom, Henry closed the door while Rika immediately went on and sat on the floor.

"What are you doing there?" Henry asked Rika curiously.

"Duh? Have you forgotten that I'm sleeping on the floor?" Rika pointed out. "Then floor it is!"

But both were silenced when they heard Mr. Wong's calls from the outside.

"Henry? Rika? Are you guys okay?" Mr. Wong asked. "Can you open the door?"

Henry's eyes widened so he immediately grabbed Rika and put her on the bed and ran towards the door so he could unlock it. Rika was surprised with what Henry did but she took it as a signal to start the game.

_And the game begins. What a waste! _Rika thought as she watched Henry unlock the door.

Henry unlocked the door and ran towards Rika's side.

"Hey, Dad! It's not locked! You can come inside now!" Henry called out.

Henry wrapped his left arm around Rika's shoulder after he said those words. Rika only blushed with Henry's arm touching her shoulder.

Mr. Wong entered the room and found Henry lying on the bed with Rika.

"Henry?" Mr. Wong called out.

"Hey, Dad! Rika was just snuggling at my side!" Henry answered with a grin. "What's up, Dad?"

"Anyway… I only went here to inform you that Mayumi and I are going to Kyoto tomorrow because of some affairs…" Mr. Wong explained.

"Okay, Dad…" Henry said while placing his arm around Rika. "We don't mind being alone!"

"So, it seems that you guys must be having fun while on the bed…" Mr. Wong grinned. "Oh well… I'd better go before I might disturb the two of you… Enjoy yourselves!"

Henry and Rika blushed with Mr. Wong's comment.

When Mr. Wong left and closed the door, Rika simply glared at Henry and smacked him with a pillow playfully.

"Rika? What was that for?!" Henry asked Rika while he was rubbing his head.

"That's for you not to say lies, Honey!" Rika sarcastically said as she stepped out of the bed and took some stuff from their closet. "I'm going to sleep on the floor whether you like it or not!"

"Okay! Have it your way!" Henry said, shrugging.

As he saw Rika settling on the floor with her blanket and pillow, he asked her once again.

"Are you sure you want to sleep there, Rika?" Henry asked.

"Yes, Honey!" Rika said sarcastically. _Oh my gosh! I called him 'Honey' two times! Aaaargggggghhhh! Why did I do that?_

"Okay…" Henry said, relenting to what Rika said to him. _Wow. She called me 'Honey'. It's kinda pleasing to my ears._

"Good night, Henry. Don't let the bed bugs bite!" Rika answered as she tucked herself under the blanket.

"You too, Rika!" Henry said as well.


	9. Back To Basics

**Author's Note: **Hello! I'm currently on hiatus but before anything happens, I give to you this Chapter 9.

I don't own digimon except the plot and the storyline. Please read and review! Thanks! :D

* * *

**Chapter 9: Back To Basics**

The next morning, Rika woke up. She remembered that Henry's parents had left for Kyoto because they had affairs to attend to and they would not be back until the evening. Then while lying, her eyes went westward to the wall clock. It read 9:27 in the morning.

_Goodness! I never woke up this late! _Rika thought as she saw the time.

Then her eyes reverted to Henry who was still sleeping on the bed, with him lying to the side towards her.

_He looks handsome… especially when he sleeps… _Rika wondered.

When Rika realized what she thought, she smacked her head in disgust.

_Why am I fantasizing about my friend-slash-husband?_

Then Rika remembered what Jeri said to her last Monday.

**FLASHBACK:**

"You just love him and you won't admit it…"

**END OF FLASHBACK**

Rika only shrugged and decided to return to sleep since Henry was still lying as well in bed.

_What Jeri said was somehow true. But then again, Rika, it was you who wanted to separate from him… _Rika thought once again. _Somehow, I don't even know the difference between this set-up and reality…_

Rika realized that her thoughts were now taking their toll on her once again.

_And why am I having conflicts with my inner mind?! Ugh! _Rika thought in disdain and shook her head. _Maybe coffee will do to wake me up from this kind of insanity…_

Rika immediately stood up because of those thoughts. But she tiptoed so that she would not wake Henry up. Until she heard Henry mumble some words while sleeping.

"Please… Don't leave me, Rika…" Rika heard Henry say.

Afterwards, Rika became aghast and shrugged with what he said.

_He's dreaming… or probably making me realize my faults to him…_ Rika thought. _I'd better leave now before he could say anything else…_

Rika tiptoed so she would not disturb Henry. However, her efforts to keep quiet were in vain because at the creak of the door, that was the time that Henry woke and sat up.

"Good morning, Honey!" Henry greeted with a smile as he saw Rika.

"Honey?!" Rika raised an eyebrow while holding the knob of the door.

"Yeah! That's what you called me last night, remember?" Henry grinned.

Rika remembered that she called Henry that so that he could finish his nonsense last night.

"Yeah yeah…" Rika said dryly. "Look… I have to go because I'm going to serve my master right now!"

Henry then stood up from the bed and laughed.

"What's really funny, Henry?" Rika snorted. "You've been laughing at me ever since I saw you again!"

"Nothing…" Henry said nonchalantly. "I'm going with you…"

Rika smiled wryly and made her way downstairs. But before she could make her first step, she missed it and slipped. Fortunately, Henry was just behind her and caught her before she could hurt herself. Henry's arms were under Rika's legs while Rika's arms were on Henry's shoulders and they accidentally locked eyes with each other.

"Are you okay, Rika?" Henry asked worriedly.

"Y-Yeah… I-I'm fine… No need to worry about me, Sir… Once a maid, always a maid…" Rika answered frankly but her voice was nervous. _Yep. I'll be a maid… Until when?_

Henry laughed again while holding Rika.

"What's so funny?!" Rika said with annoyance because everything she did, Henry was only there to laugh at her.

"You are!" Henry said with a smile, not wanting to put Rika down and carried her downstairs.

"And why am I funny, huh?" Rika asked sarcastically.

"Rika, the only reason why I asked you to be my maid was for you to live here again with me…" Henry explained.

"Then why did you tell me that kind of set-up when we're at the office?!" Rika retorted.

"Well… That came from my mind only…" Henry said sheepishly. "… and I know that you won't agree with returning here so that's what I said…"

"Actually… I only disagreed with your plan to make me as a maid, you know?" Rika replied. "Now, can you put me down?"

Henry relented and put Rika down so she could stand upright.

"Okay…" Henry said.

"But I have a deal to make…" Rika answered.

"And what is it?" Henry asked, feigning interest.

"If you really want to show your parents that we're doing fine again this time, then let's continue what we're doing before… Let's stick to pretending that we're married but in reality, we're still friends. Our life somehow got distorted because of this little trick of yours, Henry!" Rika answered. "And I hope that you get my point, wise guy!"

"Of course I do…" Henry chuckled.

"So, are we going to be friends once again?" Rika said, extending her hand.

"Okay…" Henry replied, shaking her hand.

"After all… You're the one who created this mess!" Rika chuckled. "I'm just returning you the favor!"

"You're the boss!" Henry said with a grin.

Rika nodded. _At least, with his cooperation, this would make it easier for me to get the divorce… _

_At least she didn't mention divorce this time… _Henry thought. _But, it's good to have her really back… At least, we won't be getting awkward again with each other!_

Because of that, Rika then went away from Henry.

"Where are you going?" Henry asked Rika.

"To the kitchen, silly!" Rika replied frankly. "My husband would probably grumble because his stomach is mad!"

Henry just shook his head playfully.

Afterwards, after Rika cooked their breakfast and laid the table, Henry watched his wife do the household chores as effective as she can.

_We're back again to the same set-up years ago… But can't we really turn out to be more than just friends, Rika? _Henry wondered. _Maybe I've been asking too much. I should be contented with what we are now… In reality, I'm glad that I'm tied with Rika… and I didn't regret that I chose her… Maybe it's time to let her know how I truly feel about her… But how?_

"Wong! Let's eat!" Rika urged him. "I know you're hungry!"

"Last names, aren't we?" Henry smirked as he approached the table. "I'm sorry Rika, but you're also a Wong!"

Rika only became silent with that fact. _Oh right… I am Rika Wong. _

Afterwards, Henry and Rika helped in cleaning the house. Rika was busy washing the plates while Henry swept and kept the floors clean. It was definitely a day for a husband and wife tandem.

"Why are you helping me? Are you forgetting that I'm your maid, Henry?" Rika asked as she saw Henry cleaning the house as well.

Henry only smiled. "Let's just forget about that maid set-up of mine… I don't want you to leave again because I made that kind of stupidity…" he added.

Rika smiled wryly and returned to work. "So you're stupid!" she added.

"Somehow…" Henry said and he did not utter a single word anymore.

Afterwards, Rika then went to check her supplies after spending too much for her cooking yesterday. Her face became glum as she realized that their stock would almost run out. Henry saw her face after going inside the kitchen.

"What's wrong?" Henry asked.

"Nothing… Just food's running out… and I've got nothing to shell out for today…" Rika answered.

"Rika… Here in our house, you have nothing to worry about… You'll never spend anything here!" Henry explained.

"Right… I won't…" Rika replied. "Because I've got a CEO for a so-called 'husband'…"

"That's right…" Henry winked.

With that, Rika blushed and looked away.

_No, Rika! Don't let yourself be carried away! You have to work on what you're supposed to do! _Rika thought.

_But he's handsome! You can't leave a handsome guy like Henry! _Rika's other half argued.

Rika then shook her head to avoid further nuisances to her thinking.

_I'm getting idiotic because of my dual thinking! _Rika concluded in her mind. _How am I gonna stop this?_

Noticing that Rika had been spacing out, Henry waved a hand in front of her face.

"Hey, Rika! You okay?" Henry asked.

"Yeah… I'm fine…" Rika answered. "I'm just thinking… a lot. Anyway, I need to take a bath because I will have to shop for food items here in the house…"

"Okay… I'll go with you then!" Henry offered.

"No need, Henry… I'm fine!" Rika said. "You just stay here so you could get some rest. Just give me the money and I can handle it."

"I'm not letting you go alone, you know!" Henry explained. "Besides, you're my wife, remember? I should help you in whatever here at home."

Rika only let out a small sigh. _He wins. And this is worse… _

"Oh fine! You can go with me, Henry!" Rika said.

"I never knew that I could win in argument with you, Rika!" Henry grinned.

"Don't push your luck up, Henry!" Rika added. "I need to go and have a bath so we can finish everything today before your parents show up."

"I'll use the bathroom right after you, okay?" Henry said.

Rika nodded and went directly to the bathroom. Fortunately, when she got inside the bathroom, she found two towels inside.

"Time to bath! I still got plenty of time until my in-laws return!" Rika said as she turned on the shower.

Meanwhile, Henry was already talking to his associate through his phone.

"Yes, I know that there will be some changes… I'm still adjusting to the system of the company…" Henry said. "Yes? Okay… I'll attend to those needs as soon as I can… Alright. I'll see you when I report tomorrow."

Then, he dropped the call.

"The perks of being the CEO…" Henry mused. "I wonder if Rika had any idea how Mr. Nashita ran the company way before…"

Inside the bathroom, Rika had been using the shower for almost an hour. She was totally lost with her and Henry's conversation earlier that she even forgot to brush her teeth.

_Gaaad! You have to focus, Rika! Focus! Do not let yourself be carried away! You had moved on already so why bother caring about him?! _Rika thought. _I don't know… What he said earlier sent shivers to my spine…_

With that, Rika grasped for her toothbrush and put toothpaste on it and started brushing her teeth.

_Ugh… This is totally annoying! _Rika thought as she brushed her teeth and spit already.

When she finished and finally got out of the bathroom, she found Henry who was staring aimless at nowhere.

"Henry… You can use the bathroom!" Rika said to coax Henry into taking a bath.

"Okay…" Henry said as he stood up and went to the bathroom.

Rika went upstairs to her and Henry's room so she could get some clothes. Just as she got her clothes, she hit her finger and heard a metallic sound. She remembered that she was still wearing the wedding ring that Henry had placed on her finger yesterday morning.

**FLASHBACK:**

Two years ago…

_I can't hurt a person that I care about… Even if it can hurt him because of my leaving, I know that he will find his own happiness someday,_ Rika thought as she saw her wedding ring.

Because she had no choice, Rika removed the ring, placed it on the table and left their marital residence with her bags and things.

_I'm sorry, Henry… But I don't want to hurt you because of my incapability as your wife… I know you still want a real one so I have to let you go._

**END OF FLASHBACK**

_And then again, he's still running after me… Henry's running after me and begging for my attention… I don't know… _Rika thought. _Maybe I shall ride his nonsense for this week and see if something happens… And if something good turns up, I'll…_

Then, Rika heard a knock on the door.

"Rika?!" the voice said. It was actually Henry from the other side.

_Oh my gosh! It's Henry! _Rika thought.

To make things worse, Rika realized that she was still wearing nothing but a towel.

_Crap! _Rika thought. _What am I going to do? I can't change clothes with him around!_

Rika was still stunned for a moment. She did not know what to do.

_Or, I'll dress up so that Henry can dress up in peace when he goes in! _Rika concluded in her mind. _I don't want to remember that incident when I saw Henry's body unconsciously!_

Rika then grasped for her white shirt with a drawing of a falling rose on it as well as her blue jean shorts since she and Henry will just get groceries.

"Rika! Open the door, will you?!" Henry burst from outside.

"Just a minute, Henry!" Rika replied as she wore her shirt as quickly as she can and slipped her shorts while walking towards the door.

When she opened the door, she found Henry who was wearing nothing but a towel and she blushed and looked away.

_Rikaaaaaaaaaa! Stop doing that! _Rika berated herself.

"Uh… You can have the room right now!" Rika said as she looked only at Henry's face.

Henry only raised an eyebrow after Rika slowly went out of their room. He only chuckled after Rika finally got outside of the room.

_Rika's really funny… She really had something that made me attracted to her… _Henry thought. _Henry Wong, this will be the last chance that you'll get to love her… Just make her feel special like you always do…_

He then changed into a white collared shirt and slipped on his brown cargo shorts since he and his wife will just be having the usual grocery shopping downtown. When he was done, he fixed everything, went outside of their room and closed it. He eventually went downstairs and found Rika sitting down while holding her black bag.

"So, shall we go?" Henry asked Rika.

Rika nodded and followed Henry as they left their house.

_Okay, Rika. Just stay focused! Do what you should do. If something good turns out this week, you better accept that divorce isn't the solution to the current problem! _Rika's first half of her mind thought.

_If divorce isn't the solution, what is that solution? _Rika's other half thought as well.

Henry then unlocked the car and let Rika inside, like what he does whenever they leave for work.

"Thanks…" Rika replied.

"You're welcome!" Henry said and went to his seat so they could leave the house already.

Then moments after, Henry and Rika's car was already traversing the area of the city of Shinjuku.

"Uhm… Rika?" Henry asked.

"What's it?" Rika asked, looking at Henry.

"How did Mr. Nashita run the company before?" Henry asked.

Rika was surprised with what Henry said to her. Now Henry was seeking for her advice!

"Well… He runs it like the usual corporate owner… He's a good man but with a tight fist. But don't worry, Henry… If he did manage the company well, I'm sure you can do it…" Rika replied. "What's wrong?"

"I just don't know if I could surpass his skill… I mean, look at me… I only got to run some small companies and this would be the first time that I run a company that is as large as Hypnos…" Henry said reluctantly.

"If he can, I'm sure you can…" Rika answered. _I can't believe that I'm offering Henry an advice._

Henry smiled at Rika. "Thank you…" he said. "I'll do my best…"

Rika chuckled. "Better be… And, keep your eyes on the road, will you?" she said. "We might get into an accident if you must know!"

"Aye, aye, Madame!" Henry said as he made a mock salute.

Rika then smiled as she relaxed into her seat once again.

After twenty minutes of driving to the grocery store, the two eventually arrived. They got a shopping cart and began to go through the entire area.

"We need some fish…" Rika said while pushing the cart.

"I'll get them!" Henry said as he offered that he will get them for her. "What type do you prefer?"

"The native…" Rika answered.

"Really?!" Henry asked, goggle-eyed. "I prefer native fish over the other kind!"

"Wow! Now that you know, you get them, Henry!" Rika instructed.

Henry ran off to get fish. He laughed because the same fish he usually buys was the same fish Rika was talking about. When he got it, he returned to Rika.

"What's next?" Henry asked as he placed the fish gently in the cart.

"Henry, I think it would be better that I get the groceries while you push this cart," Rika said as she went off to find what they were supposed to find.

Henry then relented since Rika was the one who knows completely about cooking. When Rika was out of sight, Henry was left in state of thoughtfulness once again about her.

_Rika really knows what she does…_Henry thought as he saw Rika sprinting quickly from afar. _And really, she knows everything regarding households very well. I guess that's what she did during the time she left me…_

When she returned once again, Rika was already tired from sprinting. That was because she circled the areas as well as bringing all the necessities in one hand.

"Okay, Henry… Do you think that we need more?" Rika asked. "We got fish… chicken…"

"What about spices?" Henry said.

"Those were already in one bag…" Rika said, pointing to a small bag near the edge of the cart.

"Wasabi?" Henry asked.

"Well… I do have because it's somehow spicy… But I can put it on the table if suspicious people come and have lunch or dinner with us!" Rika chuckled.

"You're mean!" Henry replied with a chuckle.

"That's true… Some guys tried to hit on Jeri and me and they sometimes had dinner with us… Well, luckily, the wasabi trick did the thing!" Rika replied. "Thinking that an outside element was poisoning them!"

"Glad they didn't succeed…" Henry said, out of the blue.

Rika looked at Henry after he said those words and noticed that he became pale afterwards.

"Henry? Are you okay?" Rika asked and he felt his face for probable illness with her right hand.

"Yeah, I'm fine…" Henry answered.

"You know, you're just hungry… Don't worry. We'll have lunch later!" Rika assured.

"I'm fine… Now let's get going!" Henry replied.

Henry and Rika had taken some more items. They were already on their last item and that is sugar. Rika went up to get it but she could not reach it. Before she knew it, she was already being carried by Henry, with his arms around her waist and lifted her upwards.

"Need any help?" he asked, looking upwards to Rika.

Rika looked to where his arms were and just answered, "Yeah. I think so…"

After that, Rika got what she wanted and Henry had put her down so they went to the counter to pay up. When they looked at the time, it was already thirty minutes before lunch time.

"I guess this could last for a week!" Rika mused as she saw her and Henry's groceries in the cart.

"I know…" Henry replied.

After they paid up, the couple immediately got their bags and left the counter. Rika was carrying the bag with vegetables while Henry offered that he carry the heavy ones filled with fish and chicken.

"Thank you!" Rika said slyly towards Henry as she placed the bags at the back of the car.

"You're welcome…" Henry said as he closed the door and headed towards the driver's seat.

The couple went inside the car and left the grocery store. They drove for almost an hour until they reached their home. Afterwards, they went inside to put the groceries in their respective places.

"I'm happy that we have something to restock the supplies…" Rika said while placing the groceries inside the shelves. "Your parents might scold me for not being mindful of the guests, especially with what they'll eat!"

"They won't…" Henry assured as he tried to help Rika in restoring everything.

Just as Henry could find another word to say, Rika was lost in sight. He assumed that she must be preparing their lunch already so he went to their living room and sat down. Minutes later, he saw Rika with a bowl in tow.

"What's this?" Henry asked as Rika gave him.

"Soup… So you could eat while I'm preparing lunch…" Rika explained. "As you say, appetizer…"

Henry chuckled. "Thanks…" he said.

"Anytime!" Rika replied coyly and went back to the kitchen.

Henry nodded and took a sip and thought if it had wasabi as Rika would say. Nonetheless, he began eating until Rika called him.

"Let's eat, Henry…" Rika said.

Both assembled into the dining room and ate their lunch. They did not talk much because they were so hungry to talk. Afterwards, Rika took the dishes and washed them in the nearby sink and cleared the table. Noticing that Rika was done already, Henry offered her to sit down beside him.

"What are we going to do?" Rika asked as she sat down.

"Let's watch a movie… Just like what couples do…" Henry answered.

"We're not exactly most couples, you know?!" Rika objected.

"I know… I just miss watching movies with you…" Henry explained.

"Fine… What have you got, Henry?" Rika said.

"Action, romantic, comedy, drama…" Henry added.

"Scratch the romance, will you?" Rika snorted.

"Aye aye, Madame!" Henry grinned. "So action's in, I assume?"

Rika nodded. "Just play it and I'll get the popcorn…" she said.

Henry did what Rika told and Rika went to the kitchen so she could get popcorn. After doing so, Rika returned to the living room with Henry.

"Here…" Rika said as she offered Henry the bowl.

"Thanks…" Henry said as he placed his right hand in the bowl and ate.

The two settled in watching "Shanghai Noon"wherein both of them enjoyed watching because it has action, comedy and romance. Rika looked away whenever some hints of romance were shown because she was still suppressing her feelings for Henry now that they agreed to pretend that they were married while being friends once again. Meanwhile, Henry looked at the auburn-haired girl beside him and smiled contentedly and returned to watching the movie.

When the movie finished, they only laughed like hyenas.

"That's funny…" Rika said who actually enjoyed her day with Henry through shopping with him and watching a movie.

"I agree…" Henry said and looked at the wall clock. "It's already six in the afternoon!"

"Wow… Time sure flies when you're having fun!" Rika answered.

Henry nodded. Afterwards, he heard the doorbell ring. He stood up to get it and when he opened the door, he saw his parents standing at the door.

"Hey, Mom and Dad! How's Kyoto?" Henry asked and ushered his parents in.

"It's fine, Henry!" Mrs. Wong answered. "Where's Rika?"

Rika stood up after her name was called. "I'm here, 'Mom'!" she said. "Anyway, I'm going to make dinner!"

"No need, Rika! We're still full from that event in Kyoto. Don't mind about us! How did you spend your day alone with Henry?" Mrs. Wong answered.

Rika looked to Henry and eventually to Mrs. Wong.

"It's actually fine, 'Mom'!" Rika answered and smiled.

Henry smiled after hearing Rika's answer. Then, the couple assisted their parents with their belongings so they could go to their room and rest.


	10. Yearning For You

**Author's Note: **Hi guys! I'm actually working halfway through this story so I took too long to update. Sorry for the inconvenience. This is Chapter 10. ;)

Okay. I don't own digimon except the plot. Please read and review. Thanks! :D

* * *

**Chapter 10: Yearning For You**

The next day, Henry woke up and found Rika sleeping on the floor with her body facing to the side. When he looked at the clock, it was already 7:20 in the morning. He then decided to wake Rika up so he stood up and went to where Rika was lying.

_Early to bed, late to rise… _Henry thought as he saw Rika.

Just as Henry was about to wake Rika up, he got struck by the auburn-haired woman's flawless face as well as her long eyelashes and with that, he looked at her face closely. Her pink and soft lips seemed to tease him but Henry smiled at the memory wherein he kissed Rika in the balcony last Thursday night and fortunately, Rika did not pummel him because of that.

At that moment, Rika opened her eyes. She slowly turned around and saw Henry looking at her closely. She became surprised after that and she unconsciously looked at his calm grey eyes.

With Rika's sudden move, Henry's mind returned to reality. He mentally smacked himself for not waking Rika up and only staring at her beautiful face.

"Oh… Good morning, Sleeping Beauty! I was about to wake you up when you woke up…" Henry replied sheepishly.

Rika smiled deviously and looked sideways. _Were you really waking me up or were you just staring at me earlier?_

"Uh… We better get ready for work… We might be late!" Henry replied.

"Okay!" Rika said. "I'm going to use the bathroom first! I'm not going to take a bath that long…"

"Alright…" Henry answered and with that, Rika went inside the bathroom.

When Rika went inside the bathroom, she decided to dismiss the fact that Henry had been looking at her earlier. She turned the shower on and eventually took a bath.

"This is going to be a long day! And this would be a week since Henry and I saw each other again!" Rika said to herself as she started to shampoo her hair. "What could possibly happen in the office today?"

Meanwhile, Henry saw his father who was busy standing near the banister.

"Good morning, Dad!" Henry greeted his father.

"Morning, Henry!" Mr. Wong acknowledged the greeting. "I see you have work today, huh?"

"Yes… This will be my second week as the president of the company where Rika and I are working…" Henry answered. "I'm kind of nervous as the president but Rika says that I can do it just like how Nashita-san does it…"

"Son, I know you still have to adjust to another phase… Just believe in yourself!" Mr. Wong advised. "But always remember that your mother and I are proud of what you had achieved, Henry."

"Thanks, Dad!" Henry said gratefully.

Mr. Wong nodded and went downstairs. Henry returned his eyes to the bathroom, which was still closed. He knew that Rika was not yet finished yet so he decided to wait for a little while.

Inside the bathroom, Rika was already brushing her teeth. She decided to hurry so that Henry could take a bath as well since both of them woke up late this morning and they did not want to become late today.

_Takara already praised me last Thursday so I need to keep up the "good" work of straightening my attendance! _Rika thought.

With that, she spit up, gargled some more and rinsed her mouth as well. She wrapped herself with her robe and went out of the bathroom. When she got out, she saw Henry who was standing near the hallway.

"Hey Henry!" Rika called out. "Your turn!"

"Okay. Thanks…" Henry said as he made his way towards the bathroom while Rika went towards their room.

Rika arrived to their room and went to get her clothes. After deciding which clothes were best to match, she then settled on her navy-blue blouse that had sleeves that extended to her elbow and a black skirt that extended to her knees as well.

_Because of wearing pants for three weeks straight, I had no choice but to wear my skirts… It's so hard to be a woman! _Rika thought in disdain. _And it's no wonder why I didn't follow Mom's footsteps! It's so hard!_

After she finished putting her clothes on, Rika went out of their room. Luckily, she found that Henry was still in the bathroom so she was free to go out that time. She eventually settled into going to the living room.

As she looked at her watch, Rika noticed that Henry had been gone for almost thirty minutes and went to the dining room.

"What happened to Henry and why did he have to spend a lot of time in the bathroom?" Rika said to herself. "Besides, we're going to be late!"

She then saw Mrs. Wong who was cooking in the kitchen.

"Good morning, 'Mom'…" Rika said.

"Good morning, dear… I bet you two will be going to work, huh?" Mrs. Wong asked.

"Yes… But we won't be joining you… We're sorry…" Rika said apologetically.

Mrs. Wong smiled. "It's alright… You and Henry can have these for lunch… They won't spoil!" she added. "Take them!"

Rika smiled after Mrs. Wong handed some food to her. But afterwards, she felt Mrs. Wong said something to her.

"Rika, I hope that your marriage with Henry can last long just like ours…" Mrs. Wong replied.

Rika was aghast. How could she explain the big lie that she had with Henry now that she and Henry agreed to be strictly friends while being "married"?

"Uh… Sure, 'Mom'…" Rika said. _Oh great… I'm turning to be the biggest liar in the history! What am I gonna do now?_

Meanwhile, Henry went out of the bathroom. He went to their bedroom and saw that Rika was not around. He sighed in relief because Rika would not see him while changing his clothes. He changed into a white long-sleeved shirt and a pair of slacks and he chose to wear a black coat as well. When he was done, he went out to find Rika.

_No. She can't leave already. She's probably outside waiting for me this time… _Henry thought.

When he got down, he first went to the living room. And from afar, he could see Rika and his mother laughing. He looked at them with admiration. He then felt an arm slide on his shoulder.

"Like father like son… We really picked beautiful ladies, don't you think Henry?" Mr. Wong jested.

"I know…" Henry said with a smile on his face.

Meanwhile, Rika saw that Henry had been looking at her. She remembered that they were supposed to leave for work today.

"Oh, hi, Henry! Are we going now?" Rika asked.

"Uh… Yeah… We will!" Henry said.

Rika then turned to Mrs. Wong. "Uhm… 'Mom', Henry and I are going to leave… We'll see you later!" she said.

"Alright… Goodbye!" Mrs. Wong said. "Take care, you two!"

The young couple went away from the dining room and eventually made their way towards the outside of the house. The older couple looked in awe.

"I remember those times, Janyuu…" Mrs. Wong remarked. "It's like almost thirty years ago!"

"I know, Mayumi… I just hope that Rika-leaving incident won't happen again… If only you saw how Henry looked depressed during those past few years…" Mr. Wong replied.

Mrs. Wong nodded. "I know… But I'm sure that won't happen again!" she said.

"I have hopes, Mayumi!" Mr. Wong said. "They really look good together."

"Well, anyway, let's go have breakfast, dear…" Mrs. Wong replied.

Then they assembled at the dining table.

Meanwhile, the young couple went inside the car. They were already journeying towards their office and fortunately, it was 8:15 and they estimated that they would arrive at the office in a matter of forty-five minutes.

"Henry, how are we going to go to work without getting late?" Rika asked.

"Just watch me, Rika!" Henry winked.

Then, Henry pulled to the highest gear and all of a sudden, the car was already whizzing throughout the city of Shinjuku. Rika held to her seat as the car took a high speed in the buzzing highway.

"Henry! We might get into an accident!" Rika scolded him.

But Henry managed to control the speed once again as they were approaching their office. Rika held her head as she realized that the travel only took forty-five minutes as they estimated. It was already nine in the morning when they arrived.

"How'd you do that?" Rika asked, somehow amazed at what happened earlier.

"Maneuvering some brakes…" Henry chuckled. "Did I satisfy your wish of not-being-tardy, Rika?"

Rika smiled dryly. "Some sort of…" she added.

The two eventually went to the elevator and rode upward. Rika realized that her supervisor was not yet around so she immediately went to her cubicle and saw her teammates Aimi and Sakura.

"Morning, Rika!" Aimi greeted.

"You look beautiful today, Rika! Any tips from you to share with us?" Sakura added.

"None…" Rika answered.

"Or maybe you're seeing someone already!" Sakura answered.

"No way! Rika already got Masato for an admirer!" Aimi chided. "Probably in a matter of a month, they'd be dating already!"

Rika only shook her head. _Fools… How can I date somebody else if I'm secretly married already?_

Then they heard a familiar and male voice.

"Ladies!"

The three ladies turned to see Masato, who just got inside their territory.

_Oh no… It's Masato! _Rika thought.

"What are you good ladies talking about? And why did I hear my name?" Masato asked facetiously.

"Nothing…" Aimi said ironically. "Come on, Sakura!"

Sakura took it as a signal for her and Aimi to leave Rika and Masato alone. They went towards their respective cubicles.

"Hey, Rika! How's your day?" Masato asked.

_Fine until you showed up… _Rika thought. "Good… Anyway, can you leave? I've got some things to do here… And you as well…"

"As you wish, Rika!" Masato replied with a smile and went off.

_Pathetic idiot… _Rika thought as she saw Masato saunter off.

Rika started her computer when she saw Miss Matsumoto walking towards her.

"Rika, could you deliver this to Sir Henry? I'm going to attend a conference in an hour or so…" Miss Matsumoto instructed as she laid the folders on Rika's desk.

Rika simply nodded. "Okay, Ma'am… No problem at all…" she said.

"Thanks, Rika… I always knew I could count on you!" Miss Matsumoto replied.

"No problem, Miss Matsumoto…" Rika replied and returned to work.

"Just make sure that they will go to him, okay?" Miss Matsumoto instructed.

"Yes, Ma'am!" Rika said sarcastically. _I get it already!_

Rika settled into finding the financial report that she was making last Friday because she planned to finish it today. She decided to go to Henry's office at ten since she felt that it was too early for her to barge into the president's office.

"Finance, junk… Money… Junk… Advertising… Junk…" Rika was sorting her files because she had put plenty of them in her computer.

At ten, Rika decided to bring the files to her boss. She took the elevator that would take her to the fifth floor and hoping that no controversy would spark after she spent a week dropping by Henry's office.

When she arrived at his floor, she found the receptionist Mika.

"Is Sir Henry inside?" Rika asked.

"Uhm… Yeah! He's inside… What are you going to do this time, Rika?" Mika answered.

"Just dropping some papers…" Rika answered dully.

"Okay… But be quick… He's not alone!" Mika answered.

Rika nodded and opened the door. When she got inside, she was surprised to see Henry talking to an executive of their company named Ryushin Kitaro.

"Uh… Sorry for the inconvenience, Sir, but Miss Matsumoto sent these papers in behalf of the financing division…" Rika stated while feeling embarrassed for her mangled language.

"Alright, Miss Wong, just place it here…" Henry instructed and pointed to a vacant space near him.

"Thanks, Sir… I'm going to leave now…" Rika said courteously and went out of the office already. _Gaaad. I barged in! _

When Rika was totally out of sight, Henry began to smile. Afterwards, he returned his gaze to the executive.

"So, Henry, are you in or out of the deal?" Ryushin asked.

"Of course I'm in, Ryushin! What do you think?" Henry replied.

"Anyway, I noticed something…" Ryushin remarked.

"What is?" Henry asked.

"I deduced that you're familiar with the girl who just went inside here…" Ryushin Kitaro answered.

"Yes, I am… Why?" Henry asked. _I'm definitely familiar with her. _

"Gentlemen here tried to ask her out… But none came from it … Maybe you want to give her a try since you're familiar with her?"

_No… Because she's already my wife! What could I ask for? _Henry thought. "Uhm… I don't know… I'm not interested in dating nowadays…"

"Okay… Suit yourself…" Ryushin replied. "Anyway, I have to go, Henry… I'll see you at the conference next time!"

"Yeah sure…" Henry answered pleasantly.

Meanwhile, Rika went back to her cubicle and returned to what she was doing before she went to Henry. She began fixing the financial statement of her supervisor as well.

An hour later, Rika received a text from Henry.

"**Let's have lunch…" **

In which she replied.** "Okay… Wait for me in the third floor…"**

"**I'm already here… You can go out now."**

Because of that, Rika brought the food that Mrs. Wong gave them and settled into leaving her cubicle. When she left her territory, she found Henry who was standing near the doorway.

"Hey, Sir…" Rika replied.

"Hey, Rika… Shall we?" Henry asked.

"I brought what 'Mom' cooked during breakfast… I couldn't say no that time…" Rika explained and handed Henry the food container.

"This looks great…" Henry answered and took the container. "Where do you want to eat?"

"Anywhere…" Rika answered. "All we only got was your mom's food…"

"Then we won't spend a cent for food if that's the case!" Henry concluded and Rika nodded.

The two went down their building and settled in a nearest café where nothing suspicious could possibly follow them. They decided to order drinks because they had packed lunch.

"Aren't you afraid of being caught too?" Rika asked as soon as she finished ordering.

"What caught?" Henry asked dubiously and placing the food container in front of them.

"With this kind of set-up… Aren't you afraid that our secret status here in this company be divulged?" Rika elaborated further.

"I don't know… But if that happens, we'll be ready… For now, let's just play as you say 'friends' just like what you said to your teammate…" Henry answered.

"Well… It's better to be safe than sorry…" Rika pointed out.

"I understand. Anyway, I think that I'll be going home at seven later… I've got some friends coming over and they said that dinner's on me…" Henry said sheepishly.

Rika seemed mindless from the task. She was used to cooking food for many persons already.

"Okay… That's fine with me…" Rika answered. "How many are going then?"

"Let's say five…" Henry replied.

"Don't worry about that… I can manage… I don't have much to do from four onwards…" Rika answered. "I'm just fixing stupid financial reports…"

"I'm glad that you're my wife… I don't know what I'll do without you…" Henry replied with a grin.

"Let's just say I'm doing you a favor… After all, you footed the bill of the groceries from yesterday!" Rika sneered.

Henry then smiled and started to open the food container. Inside it were sushi, dumpling, tempura, and rice which would be sufficient for the two of them.

"My mom still loves cooking! Two viands and rice!" Henry chuckled.

"It's three actually, Henry…" Rika corrected jokingly.

Then the two returned to what they were eating. After they ate, the orange juice they ordered arrived as well.

"Let's share…" the two said in unison.

Because of that, they laughed and nodded to each other. They placed two straws inside the drink and began to sip simultaneously and like earlier, the two accidentally locked eyes with each other so they looked down for a moment.

"Why were you looking down?" Henry chuckled.

"Nothing…" Rika denied. "Just drink, will you?"

"Okay!" Henry winked.

Afterwards, they finished the entire glass and left the café. They returned to their workplace in which Henry and Rika rode the same elevator.

When Rika arrived that afternoon, she was given by Sakura a paper based on the statement of accounts during the past month.

"I hope you can do this… Someone's gonna do this!" Sakura replied.

When she received what Sakura gave her, she placed it on her desk and focused in doing what she was supposed to type. When she got finished after two hours, Rika was already figuring out on how to do the financial report of her department when all of a sudden, Liya showed up in front of her.

"Hey, Rika… I'm gonna relieve you…" Liya declared. "I'll do the financial report…"

With that, Rika felt her eyes widen. She broke into a huge grin.

"Really?" she said.

"Yeah? You don't want?" Liya curiously exclaimed.

"N-No… I'm just thinking… Forgive me for my rotten mind…" Rika replied sheepishly.

"You sure need a rest and someone to take care of you…" Liya said. "Can I have the document?"

Rika wordlessly gave the papers to Liya so she could take over already. With this, she fixed her things and started to leave her cubicle.

"Thanks a lot, Liya!" Rika replied as she turned her head back.

"No problem, Rika!" Liya said cheerfully.

Rika went towards the elevator area and she luckily found an empty elevator. She went down and quickly hailed a taxi. After getting inside, she started her journey home.

When she arrived in her house, she saw that the door was locked. Her in-laws left a letter that said:

"**Dear Henry and Rika, **

**We went to see a friend not far away. We'll be back before midnight.**

**Love, Mom and Dad"**

She wore a shrugged face and decided to go in using her house keys. When she opened the door, she went straight to their room and changed her clothes into an outfit that was normal yet presentable for the guests. She was wearing a light blue turtle-necked sleeveless dress.

Rika spent the next two hours on cooking. She was used to cooking for seven people but with two dishes.

"There… That should do the trick…" Rika said as she had put the tempura in the oven. "Finally I'm finished!"

Meanwhile, Henry arrived at home with his five bachelor friends. They used to work in the same workplace before Henry bought the company where Rika worked.

"So, Henry!" a man named Kotaro replied.

"Any kind of food seems to suit me… I'm starving!" another named Isamu said.

"Okay, guys! Just you wait…" Henry said as he was opening the door.

When the door opened, they saw from the living room some food that was laid on the table.

"Hello?" they said.

Rika appeared after hearing the voices and greeted them. Her hair was tied into a neat pony tail and wore her slippers. "Good evening…" she greeted plainly.

"Good evening…" the men replied.

One man snickered to Henry. "That's your wife?! She's hot!" he whispered.

"Yes… I forgot to tell you, Toshio…" Henry answered. "Uhm… Rika, these are Kotaro, Isamu, Toshio, Daiki, and Hashi, my former officemates… Guys, this is Rika… my wife…"

"Hello…" Rika said after being introduced.

"Hi…" the men returned.

The men eventually sat on the seats. All of them were struck by Rika's beauty so they were speechless. Henry expected that this would happen so he gave a low giggle and Rika noticed this.

"What's funny, Henry?" Rika whispered seriously. "You look crazy!"

"Nothing… Don't worry about it…" Henry answered.

"Don't worry because I won't…" Rika whispered slyly.

"Alright, gentlemen! Let's eat since dinner's on me, right?" Henry replied.

All of the men went towards the dining room. They wordlessly sat and waited for Henry to sit as well.

"You won't join us, Rika?" Henry asked as he was picking some food.

"No, thank you, Henry. I'll be fine while sitting on the couch!" Rika answered and took a small plate of tempura and yakiniku and placed it on her plate.

Henry nodded. Then he started a conversation so that his friends would feel at home.

"So, how's being the boss of the latest company, Henry?" Isamu asked.

"For starters, it's like start from scratch… But I've got a few pointers from Rika… She used to work there…" Henry answered with obvious lying.

Rika chuckled to herself while eating her food.

"So where do you work now?" Toshio asked Rika.

"I'm a housewife at home…" Rika lied. _If these dweebs figure out my position under Henry's company then I'll never hear the rest of it!_

Henry only stifled a laugh with Rika's answer. _Nice job, Rika. _

"Nowadays, you can't find a boss whose age is the same as Henry…" Kotaro remarked.

"Yeah… Because they're not even getting any younger because of work…" Rika commented.

All of the men laughed because of Rika's comment.

"Rika, you got a killer sense of humor!" Hashi remarked.

Rika only shrugged and returned to eating along with the guys. The conversation of the guys turned from office to ladies. As much as possible, she hated to be asked regarding those things.

_Gaaad. When did Henry pick friends that are worse than Takato, Ryo, Kazu and Kenta? _Rika thought with scorn. _And how did he become friends with them anyway?!_

After they had eaten, the friends bid the couple goodbye and good night. Henry closed the gate and saw Rika standing near the doorway.

"Is it their first time to see a chick in a man's house?" Rika snorted with her arms crossed.

"I'm afraid so…" Henry chuckled. "All of them are certified singles…"

"It shows…" Rika answered and Henry laughed with that.

"So, are you done with the dishes?" Henry asked. "If no, I'll help you!"

"No… I'm not done…" Rika said as she went inside the door.

Henry followed Rika and closed the door. "Anyway, where are my parents and why aren't they home yet?"

"They went somewhere else and they would be back on midnight…" Rika answered as she made her way towards the kitchen.

"Okay…" Henry answered.

When Rika went to the kitchen to clear the dishes, she saw Henry who walked inside as well.

"What are you doing here?" Rika asked while washing the plates. "Why don't you take a rest?"

"Like I said earlier, I'll help you…" Henry said and grasped for a plate and smiled at Rika.

Rika could not help but smile as well. "Alright, Henry. Dry the plates that I will give you, okay?"

"Sure. No problem at all!" Henry answered.

Then both of them finished the dishes in just an hour. _  
_


	11. Keeping The Spark

**Author's Note:** I nearly had the writer's block because unexpected happenings came along during the weekend but I got the inspiration to write again and give you Chapter 11.

P.S. I don't own digimon... only the plot and story itself. Please leave a review. Thanks! :D

* * *

**Chapter 11: Keeping The Spark**

The next day, Henry and Rika woke up at the same time at 6:30 in the morning. Luckily, they were already early this time so they would have ample time to eat and prepare for work.

Rika went downward so she could go to the kitchen and cook their breakfast. Henry went with her but he stayed in the living room. He saw his parents coming inside of the house.

"Good morning, Henry!" Mr. Wong greeted.

"What did you guys do?" Henry asked as he saw his parents sweating and panting.

"Oh we just strolled," Mrs. Wong explained.

"You're just in time to have breakfast with us, Mom and Dad!" Henry replied with a smile.

"Hmm… Looks like our son's so perky this morning, am I right, Janyuu?" Mrs. Wong chuckled.

"I agree, Mayumi. Did you get a piece last night, Henry?" Mr. Wong teased.

Henry turned red because of his father's statement. "Dad!" he said embarrassedly.

"I'm just kidding, son!" Mr. Wong answered.

Henry was still blushing. "I-I'll go check on Rika!" he said.

The blue-haired young man went to the kitchen and found his auburn-haired "wife" cooking breakfast.

"Oh, hi, Henry! What's up?" Rika asked, surprised because she saw Henry checking her out again.

"What are you cooking?" Henry asked.

"Your favorite… Chinese!" Rika answered.

"No wonder why I love you…" Henry said inaudibly and out of the blue.

Rika looked at Henry in surprise because she heard him say something but not audible for her hearing.

"What did you just say?" she asked him, pausing her cooking for a minute.

"Uh… N-Nothing! Don't worry about it," Henry said frantically because he was afraid that Rika would know the truth. _I wish I didn't lie… _

"Weirdo!" Rika scolded him playfully. "Having a party with your friends last night must have made your brain rotten, haven't you?"

"I guess…" Henry said sheepishly and ran his fingers through his short blue hair.

"You know, you better lay the table so you could refresh yourself, Henry…" Rika said seriously.

"Okay… I'll do it!" Henry said as he went out of the kitchen so that he could set the table for his family.

After Henry did his task, he could see that Rika was also going to the table so she could place the food there. With this, he called his parents so they could join them in breakfast.

"Mom, Dad, let's eat!" Henry called them.

The older Wong couple went to them after being called. They sat along with Henry and Rika. After saying grace, all of them began to eat.

After they finished breakfast, their parents were not yet done. But Mrs. Wong insisted that they just go on and prepare for work.

"You sure, Mom?" Henry asked reluctantly. "You're our guest…"

"It's fine, dear! After all, your father and I are happy seeing that you and Rika are finally getting along for good!" Mrs. Wong assured.

The couple shrugged and went towards the room. Rika noticed that it was already 7:30 in the morning.

"Do you want me to take a bath with you?" Henry jested.

"No! We might get late if we did that!" Rika answered jokingly. "I suggest that I take the bathroom and you use the bathroom downstairs so we can finish at the same time!"

Henry chuckled. "I'll think about it…" he added.

"Suit yourself!" Rika answered.

Rika eventually entered the bathroom and started to take a bath inside. Meanwhile, Henry got a towel that was hanging inside their room and decided to take a bath downstairs for a change this time.

As expected by Rika herself, she and Henry finished simultaneously and entered the room together. Both were surprised since they were only wearing nothing but towels and because of that, they blushed and looked away. After recovering from their embarrassment, they both shook their heads.

"Uh… You go change!" both said in unison.

Since nothing came from their words, they volunteered one last time.

"You can have the room!" both again chorused.

"Okay… So, I can change here, is that it?" Henry said as he was about to remove the towel from his body.

"N-No!" Rika shook both of her hands to avoid embarrassment as well. "I'll change in the bathroom so you can change in peace! Wait before you strip!"

With that, Rika grasped for her underwear, yellow long-sleeved blouse and black skirt, which she had prepared last night, and made her way outside of their room so she could change in the bathroom. Henry laughed at Rika's action and started to dress up in their room.

Rika was in the bathroom and blushing. She was totally nonplussed with Henry's funny behavior earlier. But she smiled after remembering that they went inside their room together.

_Admit it, Rika! You're starting to love Henry more! _Rika's first half of her mind thought.

_But you said that you're going to divorce him! _Rika's other half argued.

Rika face palmed herself and started to dress up. _No! I only got a week to settle this crap… But I'm somehow enjoying this secretly married fib with Henry. Three more days, Nonaka. Three more days to decide!_

Now that she was fully dressed, Rika went out of the bathroom and combed her hair. When she went to their room, she saw Henry who was only combing his hair and wearing a blue long-sleeved shirt and a pair of slacks and on his shoulder was his black coat.

"You ready, Rika?" Henry asked with a grin.

"Uh… yeah… Just wait a sec!" Rika answered. "I don't have shoes…"

"You don't need to have shoes to be beautiful…" Henry commented as he saw Rika.

"Huh?" Rika asked dubiously as she held her pair of black flat shoes.

"Nothing…" Henry snickered.

"I don't know about you, Henry… But I think you should be sent to a mental hospital!" Rika snorted. "Let's go before we might get late!"

"Sure, Ma'am Wong…" Henry grinned.

The two rode to their car and started their journey towards the office. Both of them were speechless because they were thinking about each other.

_I don't know… I still have three more days to prove that I'm wrong… _Rika thought as she stole a glance from Henry.

_I love her… But I can't admit it… I'm afraid of her rejection… I'm happy with this kind of this set-up here at home… _Henry thought as he glanced at Rika.

Thirty minutes later, both arrived at the office wherein no employees were around. Rika sighed in relief as Henry went away from her to meet an executive.

"Liya told me to find someone who'll take care of me… But in reality, I already have that someone… Maybe I just don't want to make things serious for now…" Rika mused as she saw Henry for the last time before going up.

She rode the elevator that took her to the third floor and saw Aimi who got out from another elevator.

"Hey, Rika!" Aimi greeted.

"Oh, hi, Aimi!" Rika answered.

"Ready to work?" Aimi chuckled.

"No…" Rika said dully.

They eventually went to their respective cubicles. Rika realized that she had papers to sign when she saw her desk being loaded with them.

Later that morning, Rika got instructed on the phone by the head of the financing division to meet a certain client privately because she was known for being the "smooth-talker" in the financing division.

"Alright… I'll do it…" Rika said. "What time?"

_"Can you do it as soon as possible?"_ the division head, known as Mrs. Atsuko Nakara, said.

"Alright, Ma'am!" Rika said.

_"Thank you, Rika!" _Mrs. Nakara said. _"Let me know what happens…" _

Rika then dropped the call and prepared herself to meet the client. She only brought her phone and purse just in case of emergency. She went down the elevator and eventually reached the ground floor. Finally, she got outside of her building.

"Okay, Rika… Just do it and you can get yourself done!" Rika said to herself.

However, just as she was about to cross the street, a black car whizzed towards her and she felt a hand grab her and she skidded her feet backwards. She felt that she had hit something. When she turned to face the person whom she bumped into, she saw that it was Henry who saved her from a possible accident.

"H-Henry… I mean, S-Sir Henry! What are you doing here?" Rika asked, surprised because he was also grasping her hand.

"I should be the one asking you that…" Henry said. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm going to meet a client at the other building… From Tokyo Ad…" Rika explained.

Henry nodded and understood but he looked at Rika from head to toe. "Anyway, are you okay?" he asked with worry.

"Yeah… I am fine… Thank you for that, Sir…" Rika said sheepishly. "I have to go now."

Just as Rika was about to leave, Henry replied, "I'll accompany you…"

"What? You're going with me to Tokyo Ad?" Rika asked curiously.

"That's also where I'm going to. Anyway, you should be careful because drivers here are reckless nowadays…" Henry answered.

"I know…" Rika answered. "I'm sorry…"

Henry smiled. "Even if we're just friends, I'll always be here to protect you, Rika…" he added.

Rika blushed and looked away. "W-Wow… Thanks…" she added as she recovered.

"Shall we go?" Henry offered.

Rika nodded as she and Henry made their way towards the building in the other corner.

When they arrived, they went to the receptionist and sought information regarding the person they wished to see.

"Good morning. Is Mrs. Jinn Azuka here?" she asked.

"Yes, she is… Are you here for a visit?" the receptionist asked.

"Yeah… Visit," Rika replied dully.

"Okay! You can see her… She's actually on the third floor…" the receptionist replied.

"Okay…" Rika said and turned to Henry. "You're going to ask something?"

"Oh yes…" Henry said and went to the receptionist. "Is Mr. Tetsuo Moto around as well?"

"Yes," the receptionist said. "Does he know you?"

Henry answered. "Yes… I told him that I'll see him today…"

"Oh… Okay! You can go up now!" the receptionist answered.

"Alright. Thanks!" Henry said and urged Rika to follow him. Rika was holding two cards which were marked VISITOR with her.

Henry followed Rika and went to the elevator that would take them to the third floor.

"Who are you going to see here, Henry?" Rika asked.

"The owner of this company… Mr. Tetsuo Moto…" Henry answered. "I'm glad I found you a while ago… Who knows what would happen to you…"

"But anyway… Thanks for that!" Rika answered. _He really wants me to stay with him…_

"Of course… You're important to me, you know?" Henry smiled. _More than you ever know, Rika… _

Rika playfully punched Henry's left arm and walked towards the office of the person they were looking for.

"That hurts…" Henry replied jokingly and brushed his arm.

"Sorry!" Rika said and brushed the spot where she hit Henry. "I see a door that contained Mrs. Jinn Azuka's name…"

"I guess we're here!" Henry concluded.

Both knocked on the door and heard a feminine voice. "Come in!"

"I'll wait for you outside, Rika…" Henry said.

Eventually, Rika entered the office respectfully. She saw a woman apparently in her forties with eyeglasses but with a kind-looking face.

"Ma'am Jinn Azuka?" Rika asked to make it sure.

"Yes… And who is this beautiful lady in front of me?" Jinn Azuka answered.

"I'm Rika Wong, a subordinate of Mrs. Atsuko Nakara, the division head of the finance, Ma'am!" Rika said as she introduced herself. "I just want to talk about her offer in her behalf."

"Oh I see…" Mrs. Azuka replied. "Let's start…"

Then, the two ladies began talking about the merger between the financing company and the advertising company. When they were finished, Rika noticed that it was close to lunch time.

_Wow. Time flies when you're talking to an executive outside your company! I hope Henry didn't get impatient because he waited for me… _

"Thank you very much, Mrs. Azuka. I'll let Mrs. Nakara know that I have your reply!" Rika said.

"By the way, are you with someone?" Mrs. Azuka replied.

"Yes, Ma'am!" Rika replied. "I'm with my husband because he wants to see Mr. Tetsuo Moto…"

"Oh. Mr. Moto?! He's a kind man…But he tried to hit on me just because I'm a widow!" Mrs. Azuka winked.

Rika chuckled because of the woman's sense of humor. "Where's he located, Ma'am?" she asked.

"Fourth floor, dear…" Mrs. Azuka replied. "He sometimes entertains ambush consultations just like these!"

"I see. But again, thank you very much, Ma'am!" Rika answered.

"Sure, dear! Thank you for coming!" Mrs. Azuka replied.

Rika smiled and eventually left the office. She saw Henry who just finished a phone call.

"So how did it go?" Henry asked.

"Fine… Anyway, the woman was also helpful… She even told me where Mr. Moto was located!" Rika answered.

"Where was he anyway?" Henry asked.

"Fourth floor, Henry…" Rika answered.

The couple went up using the elevator. When they arrived there, they were near the hallway that led to Tetsuo Moto's office.

"We're at the hallway but where's his door?" Rika wondered.

"Let's walk so we can see!" Henry answered.

The two walked for several minutes until they saw a door with the name "TETSUO MOTO".

"Tetsuo Moto. Is that what you're looking for, Henry?" Rika asked.

"Yeah… This might be the one…" Henry said and went to the door so he could knock.

When Henry knocked the door, he heard a voice. "Come inside!"

The couple went inside the room and saw a man in his forties who was busy writing something.

"Mr. Moto?" Henry asked.

"Oh it's you, Henry!" Tetsuo Moto said as he saw the blue-haired young man. "Just the person I wanted to see!"

Suddenly, the man saw Rika and chuckled to Henry. "Your girlfriend?"

"No, Sir…" Henry answered.

Rika did not move. _Phew._

"But she's my wife!" Henry replied.

_What the! _Rika thought.

"You didn't tell me that you're married, you big ol' heap!" Tetsuo Moto grinned.

"We're just newlyweds!" Henry chuckled.

Rika rolled her eyes. _Oh good… We're going to be discovered! _

"Oh… Is that so? Well, my congratulations to you!" Tetsuo Moto replied with a smile. "Anyway, here are the papers that I'll give to you…"

Tetsuo Moto handed the documents to Henry and the latter shook his hand.

"Thank you, Sir!" Henry said.

"You're welcome, Henry! Wish you well with your lovely wife!" Mr. Moto said with a grin.

When they got out of the room, Rika only stared at Henry.

"What?" Henry asked.

"We're getting in hot water because of you! You just divulged our secret to the CEO of Tokyo Ad!" Rika exclaimed.

"Well… At least, I didn't spill it to Tokyo Cor! The only connection of Mr. Moto to Tokyo Corporation is only me, you know!" Henry pointed out.

Rika got silenced by that fact. "Fine… Just make sure that no one else hears this!" she said.

Henry chuckled. "Where do you want to have lunch? My treat!" he said.

"Anywhere…" Rika answered.

"Okay… Let's go to a Chinese restaurant just near our building…" Henry offered. "I saw one!"

"Fine!" Rika answered.

The young couple went to the Chinese restaurant and sat down. Just as they were about to order, they saw a tall young woman walking towards them.

"Sir Henry?" she said. "Do you remember me? It's me, Takako!"

Henry acknowledged the greeting. "Of course, I know you…" he chuckled.

Rika was only deadpan for a moment until Henry looked at her.

"Uh, Rika?" he said.

"What?" she asked, looking at Henry as well.

"I want you to meet Takako… a former employee of mine last year," Henry explained. "Takako, this is my wife of three years, Rika."

"Nice to meet you, Ma'am Rika!" Takako exclaimed and shook Rika's hand.

"Pleasure's mine!" Rika replied as she shook her hand quickly.

"Oh well… It's nice meeting you again, Sir! Bye!" Takako said pleasantly and left the couple.

When Takako left, Rika was astonished.

"That was fast… So I assume that you had many fan girls because you're the awesome and handsome boss before?" Rika emphasized the awesome and handsome using her two index fingers.

"Yes… But I never dated any of them because I'm secretly married…" Henry assured. _To you._

Rika only nodded because of that. Afterwards a waitress came and took a notepad to note the couple's orders.

"What will you have?" she asked the couple.

"I'll have fish fillet…" Henry said and diverted his eyes to Rika. "What about you, Ri?"

"I'll have fish fillet and fried pork… Thank you!" Rika answered.

When the waitress left, Henry looked at Rika intently. Rika was surprised with Henry's move.

"Rika, are you free at five tomorrow?" Henry asked.

"Yeah… Why?" Rika replied.

"Well, there's going to be a banquet with the CEOs tomorrow… and I want you with me tomorrow night."

"Are you asking me out?" Rika raised an eyebrow.

"Depends on how you look at it…" Henry grinned. "So, are you in or out?"

"Fine… What's the occasion?" Rika said, surrendering herself to his wishes.

"Semi-formal… You may wear black or white… The venue is going to be in the fine hotel just downtown," Henry answered.

"Oh… The Royal Hotel in Shinjuku?" Rika asked with genuine interest.

"Yes. That's the one!" Henry answered.

"Okay… I've got nothing better to do tomorrow," Rika said with a shrug. "But you'll stay with me all throughout the event, got it?"

"Of course, Rika. You're my friend-slash-wife and I won't leave you anywhere, okay?" Henry said and winked.

Rika blushed. _I'm getting speechless because of his actions… and my feelings are growing stronger as well… How am I going to tell him?_

Shortly afterwards, their food came and they started to eat. Henry took a piece on his spoon and motioned towards Rika so he could give it to her. Rika was surprised.

"What's this, Henry?" Rika asked.

"I just want to repeat what we did last time…" Henry replied.

Rika relented and ate what Henry gave to her. She decided to do the same and spoon-fed Henry.

_I like doing this… I wish this would be real instead of pretend…_ Henry thought after swallowing the food Rika gave him.

_We're acting like a couple but we can't be one… _Rika thought wistfully as she saw Henry smiling at her.

In the middle of spoon-feeding each other, Rika giggled because she had so much in her mouth and also she realized that she stuffed Henry's mouth with plenty rice once again. Henry smiled because he heard Rika giggle.

"You know… You're beautiful when you do that… Hope you keep that often, Rika!" Henry remarked.

Rika chuckled dryly. "Oh sure, Henry… I'll always do that!"

When they finished eating, Henry asked for the bill and paid it while Rika was still drinking her water. When Rika finished, both of them stood up and left the restaurant.

As they were walking, Rika could not help but try starting a conversation with Henry.

"So where are you off now, Henry?" Rika inquired.

"Nothing… I'm actually free this afternoon," Henry answered.

"Man do I envy you… while I always get the typing," Rika replied sullenly. "Oh well… This is life…"

Henry only chuckled and the two of them continued walking.

When they arrived at the building, they went to the elevator. Henry decided to walk Rika back to her territory. Now that they arrived in Rika's office, the two parted ways.

"Thank you, Henry…" Rika managed to say.

"You're welcome… See you at home!" Henry chuckled.

Rika nodded and smiled. Then she made her way towards her desk. When she arrived there, she saw Aimi who was seated at her desk.

"Oh hello, Rika!" Aimi greeted.

"Hello, Ai! What were you doing in my desk?" Rika asked.

"Oh nothing… I was talking to Ma'am Takara here…" Aimi replied.

"I see… Well I'd better get to my typing so I could finish them today!" Rika shrugged.

"Rika, Sakura took over from here so you'll be free this afternoon!" Aimi answered.

_Wow. First is Liya… Now it's Sakura… Who else will take over my work next time? _Rika thought.

"I'm the one who's lazy around here, Rika, so I decided to use my energy in working!" Sakura replied. "I'm your lazy teammate Sakura Yamamoto!"

"Good thing you know that, Sakura!" Rika said as she sat down.

Shortly after Rika settled down, she heard her phone ringing.

"Hello?" she said after picking it up.

_"Rika? What did Jinn Azuka say?" _Mrs. Nakara asked from the other line.

"Ma'am Nakara! Well… She agrees with your offer," Rika replied.

_"Thanks, Rika! Because of your help, I can make her sign the merging contract… Great job, Rika!"_ Mrs. Nakara praised Rika.

"Thanks, Ma'am… Just doing my job!" Rika said casually. "Is there anything you need to say more, Ma'am?"

_"Nothing, Rika… I'm just happy with how things were! We're going to have a big break and partnership with Tokyo Ad! Thanks again, Rika, and have a good day!" _

Rika nodded. "Alright, Ma'am Nakara!" she said.

Rika put the phone down and started working once again for the next five hours.

Dusk was settling when Henry picked Rika up. It was safe for them to be together because there were no employees who were in the ground floor already. Both of them rode inside the car.

"I know you feel awkward with me picking you up but that's how I want you to remember the things I'm doing for you as a friend…" Henry assured while driving.

"No, I don't feel awkward…" Rika answered. "I just can't believe that you're doing this for me… after what I did to you."

"Don't mention it, Rika. I'm happy to do this for you…" Henry said and smiled at her. "And let's not focus on the past, okay?"

Rika eventually nodded and smiled. "And focus on driving, Henry!" she added.

"Yes, Rika!" Henry said with a grin and continued driving.


	12. Implications

**Author's Note: **I'll try my best to update soon, now that I won't have to do anything this summer break.

I don't own digimon. Okay? This is Chapter 12. Please read and leave a review. Thanks! :D

* * *

**Chapter 12: Implications**

The next day, Rika woke up but she did not find Henry in the bed. To make things worse, she saw the time and it was already 7:45 in the morning. Just as she was about to get her towel and clothes, she saw a note on the nightstand which was written by Henry.

**Dear Rika, **

**Sorry if we left you. My parents and I left because of an emergency. Hope you'd understand. **

**Your husband,  
Henry**

"Okay…" Rika said and laid the note on the table.

She prepared her underwear, white short-sleeved blouse and her black skirt. After realizing that everything was ready, she went inside the bathroom.

Not long after, Rika went out of the bathroom and immediately started to dress up with her informal corporate attire. When she finished doing so, she combed her auburn hair and let it dry. She eventually checked the house before leaving and locking the door.

Now that everything was ready, she hailed a taxi that would take her to her workplace.

"I wonder what's waiting for me in the office… Some of my officemates relieved me from doing those things…" Rika mused. "The financial report which was done by Liya and the typing job Sakura took over…"

She was lucky that she did not get caught in the traffic so Rika arrived in their building at 8:45. She spotted her former officemate who was promoted as the assistant to the division head.

"Looking good, Rika!" Kenshin said. "Still remember the deal we had months ago?"

Rika raised an eyebrow. "Uh… What was it?" she asked.

"That I will ask you out after I get promoted…" he replied facetiously.

Rika only scratched her head. _Oh great…_

"So what do you say, Rika?" Kenshin asked.

"Uhm… Some other time maybe…" Rika lied. "As of now, I'm really busy!"

"Okay… Just let me know!" Kenshin winked and went off.

Rika shook her head and went straight to the elevator.

_Why are there so many worms in this company? Ughh… Hiding my married life is getting even more complicated! _she thought as she fidgeted for her phone. _I wish I could tell that I'm married so that they could stop already…_

When she arrived at her cubicle, Rika saw a single rose on her desk which was tied to a small paper. She read the paper after examining the rose.

"**Good morning, Beautiful! ~ Henry"**

Rika turned bright red. Luckily, no one was near her cubicle at that time. She then put the rose in a small vase on her desk and smiled to herself.

That morning, Rika was working once again in her workstation when she got another phone call.

"Hello?" she said.

_"Rika, do you remember what I told you yesterday?" _It was Henry from the other line.

"The banquet with the officials thing?" Rika said dully. The dull voice she was using was supposed to drive suspicion from her officemates near her desk.

_"I'm sorry that I won't be picking you up…" _Henry said. _"I have an earlier commitment that will be held near the hotel… and they will be starting at six…"_

"Okay… I'll get by on my own… Anything else you wanna say?" Rika said.

_"Nothing… I just informed you… So I'll see you later?" _Henry said.

"Alright…" Rika said. "And thanks for the rose… I liked it…"

_"You're welcome and take care, Rika…" _Henry added before hanging up.

Even if Rika was happy that she got something from Henry, she became frantic because she forgot the banquet that she would be attending tonight. She then placed her palms on her cheeks.

_Oh crap! I totally forgot about that event with Henry! What am I gonna do? I don't have any black or white dresses at home! Only violet and maroon! Maybe I need help from Shinjuku's squealing queen, Jeri Katou…_

Then, she heard Miss Matsumoto calling her.

"Rika, I'm so amazed with what you're doing…" the supervisor said.

"Really?" Rika asked, astonished.

"Definitely!" Miss Matsumoto answered. "And I just hope that you'll keep them consistent."

"Alright… Miss Matsumoto? Can I file an L-O-A for this afternoon?" Rika asked.

"And what's the reason?" Miss Matsumoto replied back.

"Uh… Something about family matters!" Rika explained. _Well, in the context of modernization, a married couple can already be considered as a family…_

"Sure! Just don't use that same excuse when you file an L-O-A next time!" Miss Matsumoto replied jokingly.

"Yes, Ma'am!" Rika said. _Oh great… I'll keep on lying because of my secret married status! When can I reveal myself?_

When Rika felt that everything was settled already for later, she decided to call Jeri.

_Katou, I so need your help right now! _Rika thought while holding the phone right next to her ear. _When are you going to answer your phone?_

When she heard the other line click, Rika began to ask, "Hello, Jeri?"

_"Oh, hey Rika! What's up?!" _Jeri asked.

"Are you free from three to five? I need an expert opinion on dresses…" Rika answered.

_"Sure! It's my break that time… What's the occasion?" _Jeri explained.

Rika stood up at that question and went outside her office immediately. She wanted to speak freely without being pried by her officemates about what she would say next.

_"Rika? Are you still there? I said, what's the occasion and why do you need a dress?"_ Jeri asked, noticing that Rika did not speak for almost a minute.

"Yes, I'm still here!" Rika answered. "I need a dress because I'm going on a sort of banquet with the officials with Henry…"

_"Oooh! You're going on a date with your lovey!" _Jeri squealed._ "That's so romantic!"_

"Jeri, it's not a date…" Rika protested but that only caused her to blush. _Was it a date or what? Nah… It's just a dinner with Henry and some important persons._

_"If it's not a date, what is it then?"_ Jeri pressed.

"I don't know… Well, it's kinda hard to explain…" Rika shrugged. "So, are you really going to help me or not?!"

_"Of course I will! Besides, you should get yourself a makeover so that you'll look gorgeous for Henry tonight! I know that he's expecting that his wife will look marvelous later!"_ Jeri replied with excitement on the other line.

Rika groaned in disgust. "Anyway, if you have nothing more to say, I gotta go… I still need to accomplish this L-O-A so I could safely and secretly go to that event without anybody noticing…"

_"Alright! I'll see you at three!" _Jeri said._ "Bye!"_

"Bye!" Rika said as she dropped the call. "What time is it anyway?"

Rika turned to see that the time was already 11:54.

_Wow. Six more minutes until lunch hour. I can't wait to eat! _Rika thought dryly.

Her thoughts were ruined when she heard her teammate Aimi call her.

"Hey, Rika!" Aimi said.

"Oh, hey, Aimi…" Rika said as she turned around.

"Gee, what happened to you? You're rushing when you got out! Was something wrong?" Aimi exclaimed.

"Uh… I just answered a very private call…" Rika said. "Anyway, what's up?"

"Sakura and I are going for lunch! You wanna go with us?" Aimi offered.

"Uh… Sure… No problem at all!" Rika said. _Oh great…_

Rika felt for her purse. Fortunately, it was already in her pocket before she could continue answering Jeri's call earlier.

"Let's go! Sakura's already there…" Aimi replied.

"Okay!" Rika said.

Aimi and Rika went towards their canteen. Rika was about to go to the table that Aimi reserved when she spotted Henry seated at one table with another man whom she recognized as an executive of the company. Rika could see that Henry was wearing only a long-sleeved buttoned shirt and he looked as if he was selling a proposal informally.

_Wow. The CEO's having lunch at the canteen! Whatever happened to the rich and oh-so-eligible young man of Shinjuku who was used to having lunch in the finest restaurants here in the city?_

Luckily for Rika, Henry did not see her. This gave her a sigh of relief.

"Rika! Yoohoo!" Aimi called. "Let's go!"

"Oh… Alright!" Rika replied and went with Aimi so they could order food.

When they arrived at the food counter, they saw Sakura standing there.

"Oh, hey girls! Where are we going to sit?" Sakura asked.

"Over there… Don't worry, Yamamoto, because nothing valuable is in there!" Aimi replied.

"That's good news!" Sakura agreed. "Anyway, I'll go there as soon as I finish ordering…"

Rika and Aimi simply nodded. When Sakura finished her turn ordering, she eventually left her two teammates and went directly to their table. Rika and Aimi ordered their food and moments later, they were on their way to their table.

"Hey, Rika!" Aimi said because she noticed that their boss was seated on one corner of the canteen. "Is that Sir Henry?"

Rika's eyes once again went to Henry's direction. She actually knew that he was there because she saw him earlier.

"Of course… But he's with an executive," Rika explained. "What's his name? Jiro Matsui?"

"Ah! Sir Jiro! One of the hottest guys in this company! Rank One would probably be Sir Henry!" Aimi said dreamily.

"I agree with you, Aimi!" Sakura said flirtatiously.

Rika only shook her head as she and Aimi sat down. _Pathetic sappy girls… _

Afterwards, the three began to eat. Rika was thinking on what Jeri would suggest when they go out later to shop for a black dress.

"So, Rika, how about we go to an all-girls' night out one of these days?" Sakura suggested.

"That sounds fun, Sakura!" Aimi replied with glee. "Bar hopping… Partying until dawn…"

Rika only laughed at the idea. She remembered that she used to do it when she and the tamers were still studying in college.

_Bar-hopping with Jeri and Alice… Partying until dawn…And most of all, having drinking sessions with Henry, Ryo and Takato, as well as the dweebs Kazu and Kenta… I remember those days… Non-stop fun all the time…_

Rika's thoughts were cut when Aimi snapped her fingers.

"Hello?! Rika Wong! Are you with us?" Aimi called.

"Oh… Don't worry. I'm still here, Aimi… I'm just reminiscing when you remembered bar hopping and partying until dawn!" Rika explained with a chuckle. "But, count me into it… as long as there's no work the next day!"

"That's fine! But all of us three are hell busy so we can't afford to party!" Aimi added.

"Let's conclude this… We'll party at the night when we're totally free!" Sakura replied.

"Yeah!" Rika said simply because she already placed half of the contents of the spoon into her mouth.

Afterwards, the trio went back to their office and continued their work. For about two hours, Rika was busy with making charts in her computer that she failed to realize the time passing quickly.

_Ding dong!_

When Rika heard the tone, it was actually a reminder of her meeting with Jeri and the time on her phone showed 3:06. She became agape after realizing that the meeting was supposed to be on three.

_Oh great! I'm always late for everything! _

With that, Rika hurriedly packed up and switched her computer off. She carefully laid the piles of papers on top of her desk so that she would continue them the next day. She brought a paper bag that contained the pair of black high-heeled shoes whenever the need like this arises.

"I just hope Jeri forgives me on this one… I'm so really busy!" Rika groaned in disdain while bringing the paper bag with her.

Rika went down the elevator, obviously rushing because she could be ten minutes later than the arranged meeting. However, when she reached the ground floor and got out of the elevator, she saw Jeri Katou who was waiting for her in the lobby.

"Jeri?!" Rika called out.

"Oh hey, Rika! Sorry if I'm late!" Jeri said.

"No! I should be sorry… I'm the one late… and work's getting really bad for me these days!" Rika said apologetically.

"I see and you really need a makeover!" Jeri said after she noticed her friend's tired state.

"Well… I guess I should," Rika said.

"What's with the paper bag?" Jeri asked, pointing to the paper bag Rika was holding.

"Oh… This was the box that contained my shoes for tonight… I keep a pair in the office so I'll be ready when emergencies like these arise!" Rika explained. "So, where do we go now from here?"

Jeri pulled her friend's spare hand. "I know just the thing!" she said. "Come on!"

After walking a few meters from Rika's office, Jeri and Rika finally arrived at the Shinjuku Mall at 3:30. Rika and Jeri only walked because they were actually saving money.

"I know a lot of dresses here so maybe two hours would be best to find one!" Jeri replied.

"Okay… I really need your help… Henry said that it was a black-or-white event… But the dresses I own are purple or maroon only!" Rika answered.

"So, you really wanted to be beautiful for Henry today!" Jeri concluded. "Now tell me, do you really have a thing for him?!"

Rika blushed and looked away. _Yes. I'm really falling for him…_

Just as the thought reached her head, she began to think differently.

"Uh… No!" Rika protested. _Oh no…_

"But it sounds like yes, Rika!" Jeri teased.

"No, I don't!" Rika denied further. "I don't have something for Henry Wong!"

"Alright! Alright! Sheesh!" Jeri said in surrender. "Well, anyway… let's get to the nitty gritty!"

The two ladies went to the department store so they could look at dresses. Jeri found a black tube dress and brought it in front of Rika so she could see.

"Goodness, Jeri! I'm not going to a fashion show! I'm going to a congregation with V.I.P.s!" Rika replied, surprised with what Jeri brought for her.

"Okay!" Jeri relented.

Rika decided to find something for herself. She found a black and white sleeveless dress that had an above-the-knee length.

_This doesn't suit me… I don't want to become a bobtail because of this! _Rika thought. _And, gosh… Being the CEO's so-called "wife" has its own cons!_

Rika decided to check the black dresses which were located near her side.

_A-line? _Rika thought as she held the dress closer. _Nah._

_Backless?! NOOOOOOOOO!_

In a span of an hour, Rika had gone through the dresses but they looked flirty and too informal for her.

_Ugh! Why is it so hard to choose?! _Rika thought in desperation.

Suddenly, Rika's gaze drifted toward a dress that was hanging not too far away from where she was standing. She made her way toward it and was suddenly drawn to the slinky off-the-shoulder dress made completely out of rayon with three-quarter length sleeves. As Rika ran her fingers through the fabric, she noted how soft and comforting the material felt. Deep inside, her guts were telling her that this was the perfect dress for the banquet tonight, and Henry would definitely be impressed by her choice. It took her a moment before taking it off of its rack and heading toward the fitting room to try the dress on.

Meanwhile, Jeri found a dress already when she realized that Rika was already out of her sight.

"Oh great! Where did that Rika go?" Jeri asked. "Might as well call her!"

Jeri called Rika so she could learn where the latter was.

Meanwhile, Rika was about to try the dress when Jeri called her.

"Hello, Jeri!" Rika said.

_"Where are you?!" _Jeri asked.

"In the fitting room," Rika answered.

_"Okay! I'll be right there!" _Jeri said. _"Bye!"_

Jeri already went to the fitting room and she brought a dress that resembled a turtleneck when worn. When she was already inside there, she began to ask Rika.

"Rika, why don't you try this?" she asked.

Jeri's thoughts were cut when she saw Rika wearing the black dress and inspecting herself.

"Rika! Turn around, will you?" Jeri instructed.

When Rika turned around, Jeri's face wore a smile.

"I hate to admit it Rika but you made a good choice this time!" she chuckled.

"Really?!" Rika asked reluctantly.

"Yeah! You better get that! It looks good on you!" Jeri replied in amazement. "And it fits you!"

"Okay…" Rika said. _Well, at least, I didn't get to wear what Jeri recommended me!_

"What time are you supposed to meet him?" Jeri asked.

"He said that the banquet will start at six…" Rika explained. "And it'll be held at the Royal Hotel in Shinjuku…"

"Oh well… We still have time! It's only 4:40!" Jeri said. "All we have to do is to pay that up!"

"Right!" Rika said and went inside to remove the dress.

"Oh well…" Jeri said as she returned the dress she picked back to where it was.

When Rika got out, she brought the dress with her along with the paper bag so she could pay up.

"Come on, Jeri!" Rika said and Jeri caught up with her until they reached the counter.

When they finally paid for it, Rika and Jeri got out of the department store.

"So, where are we going now?" Rika asked Jeri.

"Oh yeah! The makeover!" Jeri said and pulled Rika's hand. "But first, you have to change so there'll be no problems regarding fixing yourself!"

Rika realized that Jeri's idea might be the best. "Oh well… What am I going to lose if I followed you?"

They headed for a nearby restroom so Rika could change. When they got in there, Rika went to an empty stall so she could change as fast as she could. When she went out, Jeri motioned Rika to go out so that they could spend more time with the makeover. Fortunately, they reached the makeover department that had no patrons inside it.

"Not that heavy makeup… Or something that would complement to what she's wearing now…" Jeri said and let Rika sit down so she could undergo the makeover.

The attendant nodded and she immediately set Rika. She called another attendant to do Rika's hair.

Jeri waited for almost an hour for Rika to be made over. To pass time, she read girl magazines so she would not be bored.

"Jeri…" a voice called her.

When Jeri looked up, she saw Rika who got transformed greatly. Rika's hair was tied into a soft bun with some of her loose short hair dangling on the side while her face which was tainted with pink blush-on and red lipstick seemed natural for Jeri.

"You look awesome, Rika!" Jeri smiled.

Rika only let out a small laugh. "It's still me, you know?!" she said. "So, should I wear my shoes now?"

"Yep…" Jeri said. "And it's already 5:25… You should go to the hotel now. There could be traffic!"

"Yeah… With who-knows-how-many executives will go there!" Rika answered.

Jeri and Rika went out of the mall so that Rika could go to the hotel. The two ladies rode a taxi with Rika planning to drop by the hotel and letting Jeri take the rest of the trip home.

Fortunately, there was minimal traffic so Rika managed to arrive there at 5:45. Rika took her small black bag and as compromise, Jeri would bring Rika's stuff to the latter's house.

"Enjoy your date with you hubby!" Jeri exclaimed and waved her hand.

Rika smiled a bit and bid Jeri goodbye. Once the taxi was out of sight, Rika took a deep breath and convinced herself that everything would look fine.

Meanwhile, Henry was finished preparing himself after attending a meeting with some associates. He was wearing a black coat and tie outfit this time. When he looked at his watch, it was already 5:47 and he thought about Rika.

"I'd better call her… I hope she arrived by now…" Henry said as he dialed Rika's number.

Rika was walking towards the lobby when she heard her cellphone ringing.

"Hello?" Rika said. "Henry?!"

_"Rika? Where are you?" _Henry asked from the other line.

"I'm already here. Where are you exactly?" Rika answered.

As Henry was trying to figure out Rika's location, he spotted a young woman in black with her auburn hair tied in a bun and she held a phone near her ear. He was amazed and confirmed that it was Rika who was standing a few meters away.

"Look to your right…" Henry said, still struck by Rika even though he could only see her by her side.

Meanwhile, Rika did what she was told, looked to her right and there she saw Henry. She somehow blushed because he looked more handsome with his midnight blue hair which was laid to the side and the coat and tie made him quite the sight. For her, he was different compared to how she saw him in the canteen earlier. With that, she slowly dropped the call and walked towards Henry.

Henry placed his phone in his pocket and walked towards Rika. He was still struck by Rika's sudden transformation.

"Hi…" Henry said with a smile. _She looks beautiful today._

"Hi…" Rika returned the greeting. _Gaad! He's really handsome today!_

"When did you arrive?" Henry asked.

"Just now…" Rika answered.

"I see…" Henry said and offered his hand to Rika. "Shall we?"

Surprisingly, Rika accepted his hand. "Fine…"

The two eventually made their way towards the hall. They could see that there were decorations which were colored black and white. Unfortunately, both received stares and glances from all of the men and women respectively.

"They're aliens…" Rika remarked crisply.

"I know!" Henry chuckled. "Just stay close to me, okay?"

"Okay!" Rika answered.

When they got inside of the hall, the couple met an executive named Junichi Akara, Henry's acquaintance.

"Henry!" Junichi said.

"Junichi!" Henry replied.

"Who's she?" Junichi said, seeing Rika from head to toe.

"This is my wife, Rika," Henry said. "Rika, this is Junichi, my former teammate where I used to work."

"I never knew you got married!" Junichi commented after he offered to shake Rika's hand.

Rika then shook his hand and nodded simply. _If I made a big job of lying, Henry did also one!_

"Well… We just got married…" Henry answered while his hand rested on Rika's shoulder.

"That's good!" Junichi said. "I really thought that Henry's still a bachelor after he resigned! And, Henry, you're damn lucky that you married a beautiful lady!"

Rika smiled dryly. _Why do Henry's friends have to pull my leg? Ugh! _

"Uhm… Henry… Can I be excused for a moment? I'll answer this phone call…" Junichi said.

"Sure…" Henry said good-naturedly.

The two eventually went to a vacant table. It turned out that this was where Henry and Junichi were going to sit. Henry had let Rika sit first and he followed suit.

"This is the first time I've been to a banquet that is as big as this!" Rika said amazed.

"So do I! Don't worry, Rika. You got me and you wouldn't have to worry about anything!" Henry assured.

Since Rika did not know anyone in the banquet, she always went and walked with Henry and met some executives as well. They kept that up even during dinner wherein several executives came to join them in the table.

"You won't mind with us sitting next to you guys?" Junichi asked.

"No! Not at all!" Henry replied pleasantly.

But to her astonishment, Rika found Henry's company more pleasurable than the others. She was surprised that her heart was beating wildly once again. She became silent after that.

"You need anything?" Henry asked, snapping his fingers.

"Uh… No… I'm fine… Thank you!" Rika answered.

"I'm glad that I'm here with you…" Henry smiled. "Thank you for accepting my invitation."

"Don't mention it!" Rika replied and smiled as well. "But, can I go to the ladies' room?"

"Sure… I'll accompany you and wait for you outside it!" Henry answered.

When Rika went inside the ladies' room, she felt her heart beating fast once again. She found herself looking at the mirror and thinking about herself.

_This is your fault, Rika… You're so stubborn to keep your feelings!_ Rika berated herself. _But then again, what could be the significance of the rose he left?_

Realizing that she could not do anything in the ladies' room, she decided to go out. She found Henry waiting for her and he was finishing a phone call.

"You done, Rika?" Henry asked Rika.

"Yes I am. Let's go!" Rika answered.

The two returned to their table. They were about to sit when Henry got called to receive an award.

"And the plaque of appreciation goes to Mr. Henry Wong, who had unfailing services for the past two years as president of Shinjuku Printing…" the host said.

"Go on, Henry…" Rika coaxed him. "I'll be fine!"

Henry was about to say another word when Rika placed her finger on his lips.

"Okay…" Henry relented as Rika removed her finger from his lips.

Henry made his way to the stage and claimed the award. Rika could not help but smile from afar.

"So he's really working hard during the years I've been separated from him!" Rika mused.

When Henry returned to his seat, he was happy that he saw Rika smiling as well.

"I'm proud of what you did, Henry. Congratulations!" Rika said with a smile.

"Thank you. But, Rika, this award wouldn't be possible if it wasn't for you," Henry said. "You were my inspiration to work hard during those years."

Rika was speechless after that. "I… can't believe it… I'm your inspiration?" she said coyly.

Henry nodded with a smile. Then, they returned their eyes to the program. Unconsciously, Henry's hand lay on Rika's. Rika looked at her hand and blushed.

_This could be the sign! _Rika thought as she looked at Henry. _Does he like me too?_

_If I could hold Rika's hand for a long while, I'd never let it go… _Henry thought as well.

The couple resumed witnessing the program. The awarding was the main event of the banquet.

When the event finished that night, the presidents and the executives bid each other goodbye.

"Bye, Henry! I'll see you at the next conference!" Junichi said and waved his hand.

"Sure, Junichi!" Henry replied.

Henry walked with Rika arm-in-arm towards their car. When they hopped in, Henry started the engine and they journeyed through the city of Shinjuku. After almost an hour of travel, they arrived at their house.

When they finally got inside their house, Henry could not leave his eyes from Rika.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Rika asked Henry, noticing that Henry was looking at her.

"I forgot to tell you one thing…" Henry answered.

"What?" Rika asked.

"You were beautiful tonight," Henry said, smiling at her.

Rika blushed after Henry said those words to her.


	13. Quitting All The Lying

**Author's Note: **Thank you for the follows, reviews and favorites. I mentioned this in the PMs but I'll say it again.

This is Chapter 13. Please feel free to read, review and suggest. Thanks! :D

* * *

**Chapter 13: Quitting All The Lying**

It was already 6:57 AM when Henry woke up. With this, he began to wake Rika up.

"Good morning, Rika!" he said while nudging Rika gently.

Rika woke up because of Henry's contact with her arm once again. She stood up as well.

"Want me to make some breakfast? It's still early, Henry!" Rika offered.

"Sure. What will you make?" Henry replied.

"Japanese, you want?" Rika asked.

"Any food will do as long as it's from you!" Henry grinned.

Rika giggled. "Fine…" she added as she went outside of their room. Henry followed her as well.

When they walked downstairs, Rika began to notice something unusual since it was quiet in the dining room.

"Henry, where are your parents?" Rika inquired.

"I dropped them to our relatives yesterday. Someone from them got sick and they requested Mom and Dad to take care of them," Henry explained. "They'll be back tonight."

"Oh…" Rika said and went to the kitchen.

Rika was already in the kitchen and laid all the ingredients such as pork, carrot, onions, garlic, and the cabbage. She was already slicing the carrot quickly when Henry showed up.

"Wow! You're really a pro… You slice very fast, Ri!" Henry complimented.

"Henry!" Rika said and followed it with a giggle. "It's the first time you complimented me on that!"

"I know… I have a beautiful wife and an excellent cook!" Henry answered truthfully with a smile.

Rika's eyes grew wide because of Henry's comment about her.

_What's the meaning of that? Does that mean he feels the same thing for me? _Rika's first half of her mind thought._ Nah! It's just a product of your imagination, Rika…_

_But he keeps on implying that he likes you! The kiss in the balcony, his desire to have a family with you, he saved you, the rose on your desk and your date with him last night when he touched your hand… _the other half countered. _Rika, are you really that dense?_

Rika shook her head and began collecting herself. She was supposed to cook her breakfast with Henry.

_No! I'm going to cook! Or maybe I'm going to have a lecture on this subject from Jeri… Maybe I should talk to her later… _Rika thought.

Rika's mind returned to reality and smiled sheepishly.

"I know!" Rika said coyly. "Henry, can you lay the table for me?"

"Sure! I'm at your command, Rika!" Henry replied and turned his heels away from Rika.

With that, Rika felt at peace and continued slicing the carrot while smiling. She did the same with the pork and cabbage because she wanted to make ramen as breakfast for today. She also removed the noodles from the pack and placed it inside the pot.

_Yeah. It sure is evident… He keeps presenting me as his wife and he's enjoying it! _Rika thought. _  
_

Rika decided to remove unnecessary thoughts and poured the ingredients in a pot. She added water and waited for a couple of minutes for the ramen to be cooked. She went out of the kitchen and saw Henry reading the newspaper.

"The ramen will be ready in a few minutes, Henry…" Rika said.

"Okay…" Henry acknowledged.

A few minutes later, Rika checked the pot and saw that the ramen was cooked already. She got two bowls and poured the ramen inside them. She placed it on a tray so there would be easy transport and brought it to the dining room where Henry was seated.

"Here, Henry… You can get a bowl…" Rika replied.

"Thanks, Rika…" Henry said and grasped for a bowl.

Rika finally got a bowl and sat down. After saying grace, the two ate their breakfast as well. Rika saw a look of happiness inside Henry's grey eyes and she could not figure out why. When they finished, Rika collected the bowls so she could wash them and take a bath as well.

"I'll use the bathroom, okay?" Henry asked while his towel lied on his shoulder.

"Great idea, Henry!" Rika agreed. "So when you finish, I'll have the bathroom next!"

Rika washed the bowls for some time. She decided to calm herself down so that she would not start her day on the wrong foot. She spent her time cleaning the dishes and dried them up so she could put them in the pantry. When she was done, she decided to go inside their room so she could prepare her clothes.

When she opened the door, she was surprised to see Henry whose green long-sleeved shirt was not yet buttoned but he was wearing his black slacks.

_Oh my god! _Rika thought with wide eyes after seeing his six-pack body.

Noticing Rika's reaction, Henry began to laugh.

"You can't admit that I'm hot, Rika!" he jested.

Rika smiled dryly when her mind returned to reality. "Very funny, Henry! Can you step out of the way? I'm going to get my clothes!"

"Sure, Ma'am!" Henry winked.

When Rika got her blue blouse, black skirt and underwear, she scooted away from the room just to avoid Henry's incessant teasing and went straight to the bathroom. Henry once again laughed at Rika.

_My adorable ice princess… _Henry thought.

Inside the bathroom, Rika quickly removed her clothes and splashed herself with the shower to remove dirty thoughts from her head. She grabbed a shampoo afterwards.

_It's bad enough for me to fall for Henry and still, he's teasing me through his body! Is this a sign for me to get real and admit that I love him? _Rika thought as she started shampooing her hair.

When she was done with her hair, she started using her soap and rinsed her entire body. She dried herself and changed into her clothes. She placed the towel on her hair so it would not make her clothes soggy and started brushing her teeth. When she finished, she spit up and gargled one last time and went outside the bathroom.

When she went out of the bathroom, she saw that their room was empty and all she needed was shoes and they would be ready to leave for work. She got her black flat shoes, combed her hair and grabbed her bag before leaving their room. Henry was waiting for her in the living room.

"What took you so long, Rika? Were you trying to be beautiful for me?" Henry grinned.

"Huh? I just looked for my bag!" Rika exclaimed. "Come on!"

The two hopped inside the car and journeyed to their office. They were silent because they were still hiding their feelings for each other. When they arrived at the office, they were in the basement and rode the elevator. Henry went out to the second floor because he needed to see some executives again.

When the elevator went to the third floor, Rika went out and heard a tone. She saw that she received a text from Henry saying:

**"Take care, Rika. :)" **

Rika blushed because Henry even made an effort to talk to her. She sent him a text in return.

**"Thanks and same to you, Sir. :)" **

When Henry received the text, he smiled felt and inspired to work hard today.

_When can I tell Rika the truth? _he thought as he looked at the text for one last time and placed the phone in his pocket.

* * *

Meanwhile, Rika reached her cubicle and sat down. Fortunately, there were few financial statements to do and to sign. After finishing the first half of her job, Rika called Jeri and luckily, Jeri answered on time. She wanted to talk to Jeri after what happened between her and Henry last night at the banquet.

"Hello, Jeri?"

_"Rika! What's up?"_

"Hey! Can we have lunch later? And I also need to talk to you. Seriously!"

_"Oh sure! Twelve noon?"_

"Yes. Twelve noon. So I'll see you later?"

_"Okay! Bye! See you!" _

Rika had hung up the phone and resumed what she was doing. _I'm so glad she accepted. I really wanted someone to talk to and I need her to check if my heart has gone haywire or something…_

* * *

Meanwhile, Henry called Takato to have lunch with him. Since he became the president of Rika's company, he never had lunch with any of the tamers except for Rika.

_"Hey, Henry!"_

"Takato! You free at twelve?"

_"Yes, Sir!" _Takato chuckled from the other line._ "Lunch? Your treat?!"_

"Yes and no!" Henry said indignantly.

_"Okay okay! Just kidding! I'll see you at twelve, Sir Wong! Bye!"_

"Bye, Takato, and have a nice day!"

Henry hung up the phone afterwards. _I may be an idiot because I asked Takato but he's the one who's an expert regarding feelings…_

* * *

That lunch the same day, Rika and Jeri went together in a Japanese restaurant after meeting up. Also, it was the Japanese restaurant where she and Henry used to have lunch together. Jeri also returned the shoes and the clothes Rika had entrusted to her the night before.

"Here is your stuff, Rika!" Jeri said and gave Rika the paper bag that contained the shoes and the clothes. "Sorry if I didn't return them last night… Takato got me the whole night!"

"Don't worry about it… Anyway, thanks, Jeri! I always knew I could count on you!" Rika said and placed them beside her.

A waitress appeared at the two ladies and handed them menus.

"I'll have a Japanese tempura," Jeri said. "How about you, Rika?"

"I'll have yakitori," Rika said and smiled to herself as she remembered that it was Henry's favorite food whenever they had lunch together.

"Anything else, Ma'am?" the waitress asked after she took down their orders.

"Plain water. Thank you!" Rika replied.

After the waitress sauntered off, Jeri became curious after remembering that Rika had gone to a banquet with her "husband" yesterday night. But she was totally interested with what she and Rika would talk about.

"So what are we going to talk about today?" Jeri inquired. "And, how's your date with your lovey dovey last night?" Jeri chuckled.

"What date? It's not a date!" Rika protested.

"Then what is it?" Jeri inquired.

Rika could not think of a word to describe the event she and Henry attended. Noticing that Rika was spacing out, Jeri snapped her fingers in front of Rika.

"Rikaaaaaaa! Are you okay?!" Jeri said, trying to catch her best friend's attention.

"Huh?" Rika asked.

"I said if you are okay!" Jeri answered.

"Yeah… I'm fine… I'm just thinking…" Rika answered. _My thoughts still bring me to what happened __yesterday night __and __e__arlier!_

"About what?" Jeri asked. "If you keep on thinking then we won't have something worth talking!"

Rika sighed. "About everything!" she said. "I was thinking about everything!"

"Right… Is it about everything or about Henry?" Jeri grinned.

"What?" Rika asked at the mention of Henry.

"Yeah! Henry. I also noticed that yesterday when I asked you if you want to be beautiful for Henry last night!" Jeri chuckled.

Rika blushed in embarrassment. She could not even figure out a word to say.

"Okay! I caught you, Rika Nonaka! It seems like you do have something for Henry!" Jeri squealed. "Is that something you really want to talk about with me?"

Rika eventually surrendered. Her friend was actually right.

"I somehow had this feeling before and it returned when I met him again. It even grew bigger when I stayed in our marital home," Rika explained. "And I always enjoy his company."

"So what do you wish to imply?" Jeri smirked but deep inside she wanted to hear Rika's confirmation.

"Alright! I admit that I do love Henry and I have feelings for him!" Rika concluded indignantly. "There! Are you happy now, Jeri?!"

"Finally! You confessed your feelings! But I'm sorry because you told the wrong person!" Jeri said with a grin.

"Should I?" Rika asked, reluctant to tell Henry about her feelings because of her fear of being rejected. "I don't know…"

"Of course you should, Rika!" Jeri advised. "By telling Henry your feelings, it's safe to say that you two are married! Besides, couples marry because they love each other, right?"

"Yeah… But I really don't know if he feels the same though…" Rika answered with a shrug. "And there's an exception, Jeri! We married before I developed serious feelings for him!"

"Don't worry, Rika! It will turn out the way you wish it to be!" Jeri assured. "I can't believe that my suspicions about you were true!"

"Yeah… I realized that divorce isn't the solution after all…" Rika replied.

"Yes, it isn't…" Jeri said. "So, you better think of a way to tell him how you feel!"

"You're right…" Rika agreed.

Not long after, their food arrived at the table. Jeri and Rika said their grace before digging in.

* * *

Meanwhile, Henry was having lunch with Takato. The magenta-eyed young man was eating ravenously while the grey-eyed president of the company was slowly eating. Something was in Henry's mind so he was not even talking to Takato.

"Man, Henry… I can't believe you're the boss now!" Takato exclaimed while eating.

"I know, Takato…" Henry said as he placed food on his spoon.

"So, what do you wish to talk about? And how's your boss-employee relationship with Rika?" Takato asked after swallowing a piece.

The mere mention of Rika made Henry blush while chewing. He remembered again the auburn-haired woman who was with him yesterday night wearing a black dress. To him, last night seemed to be a "date" for them.

"Hellooooo, Henry?! Are you with me?" Takato asked and waved a hand in front of Henry's face because the blue-haired man was spacing out.

"Uh…You were saying?" Henry asked after Takato got his attention.

"I said, how's your boss-employee relationship with Rika? Is it awkward to have a so-called wife under your company?" Takato elaborated and drank water.

"Not at all… We're fine and we're friends in the company!" Henry explained but the blush was still evident.

"But why does it imply that you like her?" Takato inquired, noticing that Henry had been blushing earlier.

"Huh? Like her? Are you kidding me?" Henry asked, surprised.

"No. But why are you blushing?" Takato snickered.

"Who won't blush if someone got asked with a stupid question?" Henry pointed out.

"Okay… Anyway, how's her being your wife in the house?" Takato chuckled.

"Well… To tell you the truth, Takato… I could find nothing better than her… She's a nice and good wife," Henry answered.

"Whoa! That's serious! All that's left is your feelings for her and we can say that you two are truly and humbly married!" Takato replied.

With that, Henry became silent again. He was still torn with admitting his feelings to Rika and the fear of her rejection. After all, he knew from the start that Rika never needed someone to love for all of her life. But he wanted to change that perspective because he really loved her.

Takato once again saw Henry being unusually silent. He decided to make Henry spill the beans out of everything.

"Henry, I noticed that you're spacing out every minute after the other… What's really up?" Takato asked.

Henry took a deep breath. For him, it was useless to keep a secret that was as huge as this especially to his other friend.

"Alright… I love her… That's why I'm feeling like this!" Henry explained.

"Who?" Takato asked with renewed curiosity.

"Rika…" Henry admitted.

The mention of Rika sent Takato laughing over and over again.

"Rika?! Your falsely married wife?!" he elaborated.

Henry nodded. His nod was already a sign for Takato as yes.

"I knew it! I knew it! You really had fallen in love with Rika! Congratulations!" Takato sneered.

"I'll take that as sarcasm, Takato!" Henry replied with his left eyebrow raised.

Takato chuckled. "Sorry about that… But go on, Henry… I know you still have something else to say!" he added.

"I never told this to anyone until I was sure… I knew that this was really it… During the months after our fake wedding almost three years ago, I realized that I did have something for her… and my heart was broken after she left me because she didn't explain why… All these years, Takato… I felt that a part of me was missing because she wasn't with me."

"So why don't you tell her?" Takato inquired. "I mean, why didn't you tell her? You two were already living under the same roof anyway!"

"I wanted so badly but I was so afraid that she might push me away…" Henry said sullenly. "I'm just happy with our set-up at home as friends with a fake marriage…"

"If there's one thing you two are good at, then that will be hiding each other's feelings!" Takato chuckled as he drank again his water.

"Takato, I don't know if she feels the same way… But I'm willing to let her icy heart be broken…" Henry answered. "And I'm just a few steps closer…"

"We know you can do it, Henry!" Takato replied optimistically. "You're just the one closer to her than us! And, way to go, Henry! Cupid finally had hit your heart!"

"I know, Takato… Let's eat!" Henry said good-naturedly.

"And piece of advice, Henry. Why don't you try asking Rika out on a real date tonight? If something good happens, then that'll be a good start on how you'll confess your feelings to her!" Takato replied.

"Wow! That's a good idea, Takato. Thanks!" Henry remarked as they continued eating.

* * *

When they returned from their lunch, fate was still playing with them because both of them arrived at their building at the same time.

Henry saw Rika and felt his heart thumping inside his chest wildly. He remembered admitting his feeling for Rika to his other best friend.

Rika felt her cheeks burn and rapid beating of her heart. She realized that her heart was fluttering wildly after confessing her secret about Henry to Jeri.

"H-Hi!" Rika and Henry stuttered.

_What's the matter with you, Henry? That's just Rika! _Henry berated himself. _Now all you have to do is ask her out!_

_Rika, don't act like an idiot now that you're in the building with Henry! _Rika berated.

Henry moved towards Rika. "Rika, are you free at five onwards?" he asked.

Rika was surprised because she definitely heard this when Henry told her about the banquet last time. But she wanted to make sure what this trick was this time.

"Yes. Why?" Rika answered.

"Well, I was wondering if we could go out on a date tonight…" Henry replied.

Rika was definitely surprised. _I'm not hearing things, am I? Henry's asking me out?! _

"Are you asking me out, Henry?" Rika asked to make sure.

"This time, it's yes, Rika," Henry answered. "Just the two of us… Nothing business…"

Rika's eyes went wide. _Oh good… It's reality alright! _Rika's first half thought.

_Rika! Henry needs an answer, you know?! _The other argued.

"So, is it okay for you? If it isn't, just pretend I never said anything," Henry replied, noticing that Rika was not saying anything.

Rika broke from her thoughts and turned to face Henry directly. "Okay… I'm in!" she replied.

"Really?" Henry asked with genuine happiness.

"Yeah! Or you want me to take it back?" Rika smirked.

"N-No! I'm just happy because you said yes… I'll pick you after work…" Henry answered. _Yes!_

"Okay…" Rika said, feigning happiness after Henry asked her, and went to the elevator. "See you later!"

Henry smiled and went to talk to an executive of the company. Deep inside, he felt close enough to win the heart of his "wife-friend".

Rika arrived at her cubicle still smiling because of what Henry said earlier. Aimi noticed this.

"What's with the smile, Rika?" Aimi asked. "You never smiled like that before!"

"It's nothing, Aimi!" Rika denied as she sat down in her cubicle.

"Okay!" Aimi shrugged. "Anyway, Ma'am Matsumoto sent some papers for you to be signed…"

_Oh great! _Rika thought and started signing the papers.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Henry saw many employees going outside Rika's territory and he could see that the room was almost empty. They acknowledged his presence by greeting him.

"Good afternoon, Sir!" they said in unison.

"Good afternoon!" Henry replied.

When they went away, Henry went inside and headed straight to Rika's cubicle. As he was walking, he noticed the auburn-haired woman fixing her things on her desk.

"Hey, Rika!" Henry greeted.

Rika looked up and saw Henry. "Henry! Why so early? I was just about to go down, you know?"

"Well, I finished early so I took the liberty of going down and seeing you," Henry answered.

"Okay…" Rika replied and returned to fixing her piles of folders.

"How's your day?" Henry asked.

"Fine! Papers here and everywhere!" Rika narrated. "You?"

"Same as yours," Henry said and noticed that Rika was getting her bag already. "You done?"

"Yes," Rika answered. "So where are we going?"

"I thought you'd never ask!" Henry jested.

The two went to the elevator and they got inside. When the elevator reached the ground floor, Rika and Henry separated because there were other employees who were still there. They rejoined each other when they reached the basement where Henry's car was parked. When they hopped inside, Henry started the car and it moved outside the parking lot and they were traversing the busy road of Shinjuku.

"Seriously, Henry, where are we going?" Rika asked.

"It's a surprise!" Henry grinned.

Rika shrugged since she could not make Henry spill the beans. She became silent and sat up straight in her seat.

_I wonder where we are going… _Rika thought as she saw the orange-colored scenery of the city from her window as the car moved. The setting of the sun caused the sky to be colored orange.

Henry glanced at Rika for a moment. He mentally laughed for Rika could not figure out where they were going.

After traveling, Henry and Rika arrived at their destination. When they got outside of their car, they were actually seeing the green park that was full of trees and plants as well as the place where they first met as teenagers.

"Is this Shinjuku Park? Where we saw the Digimon years ago?" Rika asked.

"Yes," Henry replied with a smile.

"Wow! It sure changed a lot!" Rika remarked, noticing that the park also had cherry blossoms with it. "Those flowers are beautiful and I loved these. I always stock our condo unit with these things!"

"I know. When I first saw this place once again, the first thing that came into my head is that this is the place where I'll bring the woman I love," Henry said.

"But did you bring her here?" Rika asked, totally amused with Henry's declamation. She first thought that Henry must have found someone shortly after she left years ago. But she secretly wished that Henry would love her someday.

_Yes. I'm with her now… _That was what was inside Henry but decided to drop it. "Not yet…" he said.

"So why did you bring me here?" Rika asked.

"You're my friend who became my wife…" Henry answered. "And you're special to me that's why."

Rika felt her cheeks blush. Then they both returned their gaze to the sunset.

Not long after, Rika began to yawn. "I'm getting bored…" she said.

"What do you want to do?" Henry asked.

"Run like crazy!" Rika replied with a grin and started sprinting from Henry. "Catch me if you can, Henry!"

Henry dusted himself and ran as well. "Two can play at this game!" he said with a grin.

Even if she was wearing a skirt, Rika was running as fast as a cat while Henry was gaining on her. While running, Rika could not help but laugh and enjoy the moment she was with Henry. She was lost on her thoughts about him that she failed to realize that Henry had caught her already and his arms were encircled around her waist while lifting her.

"I got you, Rika!" Henry grinned while they were spinning in circles. _And I hope that I got your heart too…_

"Sto-HAHAHA!-op!" Rika exclaimed while blushing. "Okay, Henry! You win already!"

Henry placed Rika down and she sat on the grass. They rested because they were losing their breaths. Henry decided to get the food that he brought so they could have the date in the park. Rika was busy fixing herself because she was tired from her running earlier. When Henry returned with the food, Rika was astounded.

"Wow!" Rika said in amazement.

"Sushi and tempura!" Henry chuckled. "Your favorite!"

"Thanks! I'm famished!" Rika said with a grin and took a piece of tempura with her chopsticks.

"Me too!" Henry answered with a smile and ate one as well.

As they were eating their tempura using their chopsticks, Henry looked at Rika in the eye.

"So how do you find this little date of ours?" he asked her and smiled.

"So much fun!" Rika giggled. "I wish we could repeat this someday!"

Henry pulled Rika close to him and laid his arm on her shoulder. "We will repeat this…" he assured.

"Really?" Rika asked innocently.

"For your happiness, I will," Henry replied with a smile and Rika smiled as well.


	14. Confessions

**Author's Note: **Thank you for the reviews and follows. You inspire me with these. ;)

P.S. I don't own digimon except the plot and storyline. Please read, review and suggest. Thanks! :D

* * *

**Chapter 14: Confessions**

Henry and Rika did not meet the entire day because Henry reported to work at seven in the morning, leaving Rika to do the same thing she did last Wednesday: going by her own and fending for herself.

But there was good news for Rika since it was four in the afternoon when Henry called her.

_"Hello, Rika?" _Henry asked.

"Henry!" Rika said with glee, but she realized that her tone was loud. "I mean, Sir Henry! What is it?"

_"What time is your out?" _Henry asked. _"So that we can go home together…"_

"Five," Rika answered.

_"Okay. So I'll see you at five?"_ Henry said.

"Alright," Rika said. "At the lobby…"

_"Okay. See you!" _Henry said._ "Bye! Take care."_

Not long after, Rika headed towards the lobby so she could meet Henry. But just as she reached the lobby, she saw a woman who was with Henry and apparently moving closer towards him and she became shocked.

_Was he really just playing with me all this time? Then why did he ask me out yesterday? _Rika thought sadly.

Rika felt really hurt. She was on the brink of telling her feelings to Henry then something unexpected came along.

_How I wish he told me about this… At least, I'd be able to setup this divorce thing!_

Just as she could think further, she saw a call from her phone. It was from Henry as she could see.

_"Hello?"_ Henry said. _"Where are you?"_

"Uh… Sorry, Henry… I changed my mind… I decided to go overtime," Rika lied.

_"Overtime? But you said that you won't have anything to do earlier!" _Henry said.

"Well… Something came up at the last minute and I decided to finish it…" Rika said plainly because she was already hurting for the second time.

_"Okay… You sure are okay?" _Henry asked.

"I'm fine, Henry… Trust me," Rika said. "I have to go now. Bye."

Rika ended the phone call.

_Why can't I have the right to be jealous? _Rika thought bitterly._ Or better yet, why did he have to be jealous over Masato when he could just get around with another girl!_

_Remember that this is still a set-up, Rika… He only used you just to save his family business, _the other half replied.

Rika was surprised when she saw Masato.

"Hey, Rika! Are you okay?" he asked.

_What does it look like?_ Rika thought. "Yeah! I'm fine!"

"You sure?" Masato insisted.

"I'm okay, Masato… Don't bother checking me out," Rika said dully.

"If you say so!" Masato said.

When Masato finally left, Rika decided to take a taxi so she could go to a bar.

"I need a drink… I haven't drunk a thing for the past two years!" Rika mused.

When she arrived at the bar that same day, Rika immediately spotted her friend Ryo.

"Whoa! Hey, Ryo!" Rika exclaimed. "What's up?"

"Rika!" Ryo returned the greeting. "You're looking gorgeous today!"

Ryo Akiyama was currently going out with Alice McCoy. He was one of the few friends that Rika told about the fact that she got married to Henry.

"Why do you always have to use adjectives?" Rika asked, sneering.

"Nothing, Rika," Ryo explained. " I just want to tell that you're really gorgeous!"

"Idiot," Rika added.

"So, how's being Mrs. Wong?! It's been two years since we last saw each other!" Ryo chuckled. At twenty-seven, he never failed to amuse everybody.

_Not good… In a few weeks time, I'll be back to being a Nonaka once again!_ Rika thought. "Fine… I need a drink…"

"You sure do!" Ryo said and chuckled. "Because you're the only one I know here, you can put it on my tab!"

"Since when did you become so generous?" Rika sneered.

"I'm always generous, Rika!" Ryo chuckled.

Later, Rika glanced at her colorless vodka and began drinking it hard. A tear fell from her face because she felt really stupid ever since she got married to Henry.

_Henry was jealous when he saw me being given a bouquet by Masato! _Rika thought._ Damn it… Why can't I have the right to be jealous? I'm just a friend and he only used me for of his parents. This "no-strings attached" deal is killing me softly!_

Rika drank again and realized that the tear that fell earlier meant one thing: she was definitely and completely in love with her friend and "husband" Henry Wong.

_First, I wanted a divorce with him because I don't want him to suffer because of me! _Rika thought in disdain. _And now, just as I realized that I don't need the divorce anymore, here comes a third party…_

After taking a hard swallow of her drink, Rika felt like she could not live anymore.

_So yesterday was just a lie!_ Rika concluded in her mind. _I can't take it anymore!_

"Rika, you have a problem?" Ryo asked, noticing that Rika had been quiet for many minutes.

"No… I'm fine!" Rika replied harshly. _Why would I be fine if I'm in love with Henry who didn't feel the same way anyway?_

"It doesn't sound like you're fine!" Ryo added.

"Fine! Maybe it'll give a way for you to stop asking me!" Rika answered bitterly.

"Okay. Start!" Ryo replied.

"I'm in love with a guy who took me as his wife because of the demands of his parents! But it looks like he found a genuine wife already to be with so I'm getting a divorce first thing in the morning!" Rika answered in desolation.

Ryo shook his head.

"You know, Rika… You better tell that to your husband… At least, he'll understand you more than I do! He's Henry, isn't he?" Ryo advised.

"How could he? He found a girl already!" Rika said unaware that the alcohol had already spread through her body. "I'm sure he's on his way to separate me… Why would I contest his decision if he was the first to get me into this mess?"

Ryo felt sympathy for Rika.

"I'd better take you home… You're drunk, Rika! And Henry won't like that!" Ryo said. "Why don't you tell him about your feelings?"

"He'll just laugh at me… He doesn't care about me and I certainly don't care about him now! I'm not giving a damn to anyone not even him!" Rika replied harshly.

With this, she already stood up from her sitting position and began walking tipsily. Ryo scrambled through his pockets for his money so he could pay his drink and Rika's.

"The vodka and the beer. Thank you!" Ryo said, left the bill and ran to catch up with Rika. "Rika, wait!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Henry was busy calling Rika's cellphone while his parents were sleeping. Then he looked at the clock. It read 1:00 AM.

_Shit! It's already one and Rika's not yet around! _Henry thought._ What happened to that woman? She only said that she will have her overtime and now, she isn't answering my calls! But I'm really worried. Good thing my parents were unaware that Rika's not yet home._

Moments later, Henry heard a car approaching. He eventually went out to find Rika near the gate.

_Who brought her home?_

He walked down near their gate and saw Rika was already tipsy when she was walking towards the gate. When she finally got inside the house because he opened the gate, Henry began to inspect her from head to toe.

"Rika? Are you drunk?" Henry asked even if it was already the obvious.

"I'm not drunk, you idiotic bastard!" Rika said unaware that she was already talking to her husband.

_You really are drunk, Rika…_ Henry thought. "Come on. I'll get you upstairs!"

Rika was already on the verge of collapsing and before she could even do so, Henry caught her slumping body with his right arm under Rika's legs and the left arm on her back. He then carried her upstairs towards their room and placed her on his bed.

"What did you do and why did you have to drink a lot?" Henry questioned as if Rika was conscious enough to answer him.

Rika did not stir. The effects of the alcohol had overtaken her system and she was in a deep sleep.

_Oh man! Don't tell me that I will have to dress her up! _Henry groaned in disdain.

Luckily, Henry realized that Rika's clothes were already in one part of the closet so he would not have a hard time finding them.

"What shall she wear?" Henry contemplated after seeing her huge pile of clothes in one side of the closet.

He remembered during the last few days, Rika was often seen wearing a tank top and shorts when they were at home. He then decided to make her wear the same thing.

"Okay. Here goes nothing!" Henry said as he grabbed a white top and a pair of black shorts. _But even if she's drunk, I can still smell her fragrant perfume._

Henry then returned to Rika's side to check her out. She was still sleeping as Henry noticed. It was a good thing that Rika was only wearing her short-sleeved blouse and black skirt so it would not be hard for Henry to change her outfit.

Eventually, Henry lifted Rika's skirt and placed Rika's black shorts underneath it while closing his eyes. When he finished doing so, he then removed Rika's skirt and placed it in the hamper. The next one was changing Rika's top part of her outfit and in order not to feel malicious; he closed his eyes again while changing the top part of her clothing. Now that Rika was fully and properly dressed, he fixed her again in order for Rika not to feel suspicious with what he did.

_Sleep tight, Honey,_ Henry thought. _I know you're tired…_

With that, he let her sleep there on his bed while he settled in sleeping on the floor.

* * *

Later that morning, Rika woke up with a splitting headache. Then she looked at her entire surroundings and figured out that she had slept on Henry's bed.

_Goodness! I promised myself that I'll never sleep on Henry's bed or sleep with him!_

Afterwards, she examined herself and realized that her clothes were not the same as the ones she wore yesterday. Rika became pale in alarm after realizing who did the changes in her body last night.

_Look what you've done, Nonaka… You lost yourself to someone who only took you as his wife for show! He didn't only get satisfied with flirting with someone but he also took advantage of me! _

Rika stormed out of their room and went downstairs as violently as she could.

_Ugh! Henry Wong! I'm so gonna kill you for this!_

When she arrived at the dining room, she saw Henry setting the table. Her anger melted only for a second as she saw Henry doing the household chores for her but returned after realizing her mission for this moment.

"Hi, Honey! Good morning!" Henry said sweetly.

Even if Rika thought that he was faking his sweetness, he was really sweet in his own way.

"Anyway, here's a bowl of ramen and a paracetamol for your headache," he added.

Rika was desensitized to his sweet antics. _If this guy indeed took advantage of me last night, I'm going to take his life!_ she thought.

But Rika shrugged the thought as of this moment. She decided to ride with his ulterior motives behind his being sweet to her.

_Henry became nicer after taking advantage of me. That's what usually guys do… When they take advantage of you, they end up becoming sweet so they can cover the guilt that they did! _Rika thought. _Might as well confront him later!_

Rika then sat on the table and began to eat. The silence was deafening for the two of them since the two were only chatterboxes whenever they were with each other. When they finished eating and Henry finished washing the dishes, they both parted ways. Rika went to the bathroom and did her personal necessities and even drank the medicine Henry gave her. Henry was in the living room while watching television.

When Rika finished what she did, she remembered what she was supposed to do.

"Henry Wong! You're so in for it!" Rika gritted her teeth while washing her hands.

When she went out of the bathroom, Rika then lunged at Henry and held him by the collar.

"HENRY! TELL ME!" Rika said viciously. "Did something happen between us while I was drunk?"

Henry only chuckled at Rika's words.

"HENRY! IF YOU'LL KEEP LAUGHING, I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" Rika threatened.

"And if I did say yes, what will you do? You can't take back what you lost, Honey!" Henry smirked.

Rika's anger only intensified to the next level. She had let go of Henry and tried valiantly to attack him.

"AAAAAAAAAAARRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH! I SO HATE YOU FOR THIS, HENRY WONG!" she yelled and tried her best to punch him.

Henry caught Rika's attacks for some time. Rika eventually stopped since she was certainly no match for her "husband" who mastered Tai Chi during his teenage years.

"I'll tell the truth if you'll stop attacking me!" Henry said while he laughed.

"Fine! Admit it then! That you indeed took advantage of me while I was drunk last night! I could sue you for rape if you must know!" Rika retorted. "You womanizer!"

Henry's eyes grew wide. "WOMANIZER?!" he exclaimed. "ME?!"

"YEAH, YOU! YOU WOMANIZER!" Rika insisted firmly.

"Why am I a womanizer?" Henry asked dubiously.

"Yeah! I saw you with a girl yesterday outside our building!" Rika retorted. "You still have the nerve to get jealous with Masato when you can flirt with somebody else?!"

Henry chuckled. _So, she saw me with Ayana and somehow she's jealous… I never knew that Rika could get jealous like this…_

"Tell me, Henry!" Rika said indignantly.

"First of all, I only changed your clothes because you were so drunk last night. And second, why would I take advantage of you?" Henry explained. "I never even slept beside you!"

Rika turned pale after she heard Henry's last sentence.

"What?! You didn't do something to me or whatever?" she asked sheepishly.

"I didn't do something to you…" Henry answered. "Besides, I'm not a womanizer! That girl was only an executive of the company and she flirted with me once but I'm not interested…"

Rika remembered that the reason why she drank last night was she felt hurt after seeing Henry "flirting" with a girl and thought that he decided to replace her for real. She was still hiding her feelings because of her fear that he would laugh at her when he learned all about her true feelings.

With this revelation, Rika turned away from him. Henry laughed and extended his arm to get Rika again.

"What the hell are you doing, Wong?!" Rika asked furiously because Henry was holding her arm again.

"Why are you so mad at me? Is it wrong for me to change your clothes last night?" Henry asked.

"No! I actually thought you took advantage of my drunkenness because you want to really get even with me for leaving you!" Rika answered.

"Why would I do that?" Henry asked with a grin. "You know, you're really funny… Even after almost three years! No wonder why I'm happy because you're my wife even if it's just for the wealth and papers…"

"Why? Was it because you like foolish girls?!" Rika said tauntingly.

"No… Because I found the perfect one in your persona…" Henry smiled.

Rika was flabbergasted. "What?" she asked. "Me? The one? How?"

"Yes…" Henry smiled. "You're the one… I truly love…"

Rika was speechless. Henry, her friend and so-called husband, was actually in love with her?

"You're just saying that because we're just legally tied with each other, Henry!" Rika said, disbelieving at first.

"No. I don't love you just because we've been tied by papers, but I love you for who you are and what you are," Henry explained.

Rika still could not believe it. "Uhm… Can you repeat what you said?"

"Even if you didn't tell me to repeat it, I just wanted to tell you that… I love you, Rika Nonaka," Henry said. "With all my heart… I wanted to be with you all the time…"

"Really?" Rika asked, trying to slowly take things in.

Henry looked at her in the eyes to tell how much he really meant his words.

"Yes. I may have married you because of the goal of acquiring the family wealth but I realized that by doing so, I had totally fallen in love with you even if you're just my friend. I learned to love you during the course of our marriage… and my love for you was the reason why my heart broke after you left me…"

Rika eventually looked down in shame after learning that her leaving was the primary cause of Henry's heartbreak as well as her own. When Henry saw this, he tilted Rika's head using his first two fingers so he could look at her directly.

"You might probably be wondering why I wanted you back… I just wanted to get another chance with you because I wanted to try this out for the second time… I know that I can't force you to feel the same way towards me but I just want you to know that I'll wait forever for your answer… and whether you like it or not, I will always be here to love you no matter what happens…"

Rika got struck by Henry's words. She knew that Henry could really get sincere for good.

_He had been kind to me… He had tolerated me… And, he actually loved me… He really felt the same way for me… He said that he'll wait… But I don't want him to wait for many years… _Rika's first of her mind thought.

_That's the golden opportunity, Rika! The one you love also loves you back! He has the right to know!_ The other one agreed.

"Henry… I… I… I actually feel the same way for you… That I love you too…" Rika answered.

Henry eventually smiled and urged Rika to continue what she wanted to say.

"The reason why I left you was because I wanted to force myself that we're on a NO-STRINGS ATTACHED policy… We can't fall in love with each other… But no! I found it hard to forget you and my love for you… and… to think things out… and, I felt so useless because I couldn't even provide you your needs that time… I'm really sorry, Henry, because you're perfect and I'm not," Rika said, unaware that tears already flowed from her eyes after letting all out her bottled feelings.

Henry wiped away Rika's tears with his two thumbs. "No, Rika. You're not useless… You're really a good wife to me," he assured. "You don't need to be perfect for me. I love you just the way you are."

Rika eventually gave her true smile. "Thank you…" she managed to say.

Then, Henry's hands went to Rika's hands and held them while looking at her. "Rika Nonaka, can we start again this time as a real couple?" he asked.

"I don't want to…" Rika answered simply.

Henry felt sad for a moment and Rika quickly noticed this so she began to giggle.

"What I mean is… Let's just continue what we started, Henry. And I know that while continuing our relationship, something more beautiful will come out from it," Rika replied, looking at Henry with a smile.

Because of their sweet exchange, their faces moved closer to each other until their lips met and they shared a passionate but sweet kiss. Their lips brushed against each other for a moment which sent warmth through their bodies. The kiss lasted for almost a minute and both felt complete happiness as they enjoyed their feelings for each other.

When they broke apart, Henry smiled. "I have an idea…" he said.

"What is it?" Rika asked innocently.

"You'll see…" Henry said. "And, you should also change your clothes!"

"Right! I think I can still smell the alcohol in me!" Rika chuckled.

Rika went to the bathroom so she could take a bath and change her clothes. While she was taking a bath, she pondered to what occurred earlier in the living room. Because she was angry for thinking that Henry took advantage of her last night, she nearly forgot that it was Henry's birthday today.

_Oh goody! I almost forgot that today's Henry's natal day! _she thought while taking a bath.

Since Rika occupied their bathroom, Henry went inside the bathroom on the first floor. While he was taking a bath, he could not help but think about Rika.

_I'm so happy that Rika loves me as well, _Henry thought._ But it's funny because it took a fake marriage to discover what I really feel about Rika…_

When Rika got outside of the bathroom, she was lucky that Henry was not yet finished. She decided to give him her gift to him. She got out from her paper bag the black shirt, orange vest and brown pants which she requested it to a friend who was a fashion designer. She used to keep the paper bag before in one part of the closet that Henry could not see.

_Maybe this would be the chance to give him my very late gift to him!_

"Henry, you better wear this…" Rika said and placed the note near the outfits so she could dress up as well.

When she finished dressing up, she was shown to be wearing her blue shirt that had a heart shape as well as her jeans and her red sneakers. She eventually went outside of their room so she could leave Henry at peace while dressing up.

Meanwhile, when Henry finished his bath, he went to the room and found the clothes which were laid on their bed. He chuckled after seeing them and decided to put it on as well.

_My life is finally complete… I'm already married to the one I love…_

When Henry went outside of their room, he saw Rika wearing her trademark teenage clothes.

"We're like our old selves, Rika!" Henry chuckled.

"I know, Henry! Let's go!" Rika answered.

They went downstairs and checked everything. Since both were ready, they went to their car and hopped inside with Henry starting the car immediately.

"So, what went to your mind and why did you come home late and drunk last night?" Henry asked while driving from home.

Rika blushed in embarrassment. "Well… I thought you found someone else and I got jealous so… that's why I drank…" she said slowly.

She expected that Henry would laugh at her so she looked away. But when she returned her gaze to him, she saw him smiling at her.

"So you loved me also from the start, huh?" Henry asked.

Rika only nodded. "I also thought you decided to divorce me because you found someone else…"

"No. I'm not going to do that to you… I'm an idiot already if I let go the love of my life!" Henry answered truthfully. "And, please don't do that next time, okay? You got me worried last night…"

Rika smiled and raised her right hand. "I promise."

The couple drove around and eventually reached their destination. When they got down, they could see that they arrived at a carnival.

"Wow!" Rika said.

"Let's go?" Henry said, offering his left hand.

Rika accepted it and they were walking hand-in-hand in the carnival. Henry was happy because his clothing seemed fit to him.

"Rika, where did you get this trio anyway?" Henry asked, referring the trio as his black shirt, orange vest and brown pants.

"I had a friend do them. I was supposed to give that to you a week ago during the time I moved house… but you really tested me with the maid set-up so it slipped from my mind. Same goes with my clothes," Rika explained. "But… did you like it?"

"Of course, I liked it! My wife gave it to me!" Henry replied, smiling.

"And so much for the gifts… I realized that I attacked and argued with the birthday boy today…" Rika chuckled. "Happy twenty-fifth birthday, Henry! Sorry if I caused you trouble on your birthday!"

"Thank you. But don't worry… If we didn't confront ourselves earlier, we wouldn't have told our feelings for each other… so I'm thankful that this happened," Henry said with a smile. "And since today's my birthday, I'll let everything you wish to be on my tab."

"Everything?" Rika asked playfully.

"Yes. Everything!" Henry assured.

"Then let's go!" Rika exclaimed and pulled Henry along.

"Where do you want to go first?" Henry asked while running.

"Hmmm…" Rika looked around. "I don't know…"

"How about we get something to eat first?" he suggested.

"Sure!" Rika agreed. "Let's get ice cream!"

The young couple looked like as if they were teenagers once again. Well, save for what they are wearing, of course. After walking for a while, they finally found an ice cream shop and they sat in front of it.

"May I take your order?" The waitress asked.

"Two chocolate sundaes please," Henry answered.

It did not take the sundaes long to arrive. A few minutes after, the sundaes were served to them. They were happily eating when suddenly, Henry fed Rika once again and he felt delighted with Rika smiling back at him.

"Thank you!" Rika said after swallowing the chocolate ice cream Henry gave her. She decided to feed Henry as well. "Ah!"

Henry obliged and ate as well. "We're really like teenagers!" he exclaimed.

"You don't want your birthday to be spent with you acting like a kid again?" Rika teased.

"I want. I just can't believe that we can have fun just like this," Henry admitted.

At the carnival, the young couple first decided to go on the roller coaster. The ride started off slow and went upward for a long time. When it reached the top, it slowly climbed over the small hill and went rushing down the rest of the ride. The wind blew at the couple's faces while they passed through many loops and endured sharp turns. The ride slowly came to a stop and let the dizzy riders off. Henry and Rika stumbled off and sat down on a bench.

"You looked idiotic, Henry!" Rika jeered.

"Same to you, Rika!" Henry countered.

Then the two of them rested for a while until they could walk. Afterwards, they went to the Ferris Wheel and rode there.

Not long after, they finished and spotted a pizza parlor and decided to eat. After ordering, they sat on an empty table and ate. While eating pepperoni pizza, Henry held Rika's hand.

"So this makes us a couple… on their first date!" Rika remarked.

"Yes we are!" Henry said and kissed Rika's right hand while holding it. "Anyway, do you want to see the fireworks display later?"

"Sounds like fun!" Rika giggled. "Thank you for bringing me here, Henry. I enjoyed a lot today!"

"You're welcome. And thank you for letting me know that you love me too. You made me the happiest guy on earth!" Henry said smiling at her. "That's already the greatest gift I received today!"

"You baka!" Rika playfully scolded him and kissed Henry's cheek afterwards.

"Let's go and get some seats for the fireworks," Henry told her after unconsciously touching the cheek where Rika kissed him. He was also blushing at the same time.

Rika nodded while blushing. "Yeah! Let's go!" she said.

The fireworks shot into the air and the couple watched with amazement. As one firework after another went off into the diamond sky, Rika laid her head on Henry's shoulder and he put his arm around her.

"This has been the best night of my life!" Rika smiled.

"Me too!" Henry agreed. "I'm finally with the person I love on my birthday."

"Happy birthday, Henry!" Rika greeted again and Henry thanked her by kissing her in the cheek which made her blush.

"Thank you, Rika!" Henry answered while he chuckled because he saw Rika blushing.

Not long after, Henry and Rika left the carnival and the couple went hand-in-hand towards their car. To everyone they passed by, they were mistaken as a young couple on their first date. Technically for them, this was their first date as a real couple.

"They're so cute!" one of the passersby said.

Rika only smiled dryly because it was never a habit of hers to smile genuinely in public. She only does that whenever Henry or Jeri is with her.

When they reached the parking lot after walking for several minutes, the couple simultaneously hopped in the car. Henry started the engines so they could go home because the night was getting deeper.

"Were you happy today, huh, birthday boy?" Rika teased.

"Extremely happy!" Henry answered with a wide grin.

"I'll give you my actual gift next time, okay?" Rika said. "I haven't received my salary this month!"

"Sure. I'm happy with you as my gift already," Henry chuckled.

"Stop pulling my leg! I didn't imagine you to be corny!" Rika said coyly.

"I'll be corny just for you," Henry winked.

Afterwards, they arrived at their house. Rika unlocked the house while Henry locked the car and parked it in front of their house. They entered the house with smiles in their faces.

"Let's do it again, okay?" Rika chuckled.

"Sure, Rika!" Henry grinned.

They went upstairs towards their room and changed into their night clothes. Rika went in the bathroom to change while Henry was in the room. When the door opened, Rika was wearing her white shirt and black shorts while Henry wore his black shirt and white shorts.

Because Henry wanted Rika to sleep soundly that night, he let her sleep in his bed while he slept on the floor again. While Henry was snoring away, Rika was wide awake and looking up at nothing because she could not sleep even if she got exhausted by the rides earlier. Even when he was asleep and there was drool going down the side of his mouth, he looked so kind and handsome to Rika.

_I guess I really was wrong for leaving him…_ Rika though and shook Henry with her foot so he could wake up.

"Huh? What?" he yawned. "Rika? What is it?"

"Henry, I'm kinda cold so… could you come up here with me?" she asked him softly with a warm smile.

"Sure, Rika," Henry stood up, got in with her and took her into his arms. "Better?"

"Much better…" Rika laid her head on his chest and started to fall asleep. When she was in Henry's arms, she felt safe, warm and most importantly, loved.

"I'm glad…" Henry smiled and closed his eyes so he could fall back asleep again. Now that Rika was in his arms, it would not take him long to fall asleep.


	15. Status: Married

**Author's Note: **Thanks for the reviews! I love you all! ;)

I said it before and I'd say it again. I don't own digimon. Please read, review, and suggest. Thanks! :D

* * *

**Chapter 15: Status: Married**

It was Monday morning and the couple was finished getting ready for work. Rika was wearing her violet long-sleeved blouse and grey skirt with her black flat shoes while Henry was wearing his black corporate suit that composed of his coat, tie and pants. The couple rode inside their car so they could get to work with Henry controlling the engines and soon, they were traversing the busy highway of Shinjuku. The couple could see that the main road was bustling with cars full of workers who were rushing to work because it was Monday morning and they had to get on time.

At the meantime, Henry was driving the car while Rika was busy combing her hair. After tying her hair into her usual ponytail, Rika was on the phone because she got a phone call from Jeri.

_"Hello, Rika!" _Jeri called.

"Hello, Jeri!" Rika said.

_"Good morning, Rika!" _Jeri said from the other line. _"How's the married life? Sorry if I just called… I've been away from Shinjuku these past few days!"_

"Oh, it's okay… Don't be sorry! Well, it's good!" Rika answered.

_"Oh really? I'm so happy for you! Maybe the time you're going to call me is that you'll be announcing that you're going to have a baby!"_

Rika smiled sardonically. "Don't think of such things! You know how busy I am these days!"

_"Just kidding, Rika! Sheesh! Why can't you just take a joke?" _

"Because it's hard to tell whether you're joking or not, Jeri!" Rika answered. "Anyway, how about you and 'Gogglehead'?"

_"Oh… Nothing new!" _Jeri said. _"Anyway, I have to go… I'm going to ride a taxi to work! I have to keep my phone for my own safety as well…"_

"Okay! Take care, Jeri!" Rika answered and ended the call.

With that, Rika placed the phone back into her bag.

"Who's that?" Henry asked.

"Oh, it's Jeri Katou who's just saying hi… But in reality, I don't know how she survived without phoning me for the past four days!" Rika remarked.

Henry only laughed. Then he returned his focus to driving so that he and Rika could arrive at work early. When they arrived at the office that morning, Henry saw an executive and he remembered that he would get some important documents from him.

"Rika, you may now go on," Henry said and Rika nodded.

Rika heaved a sigh of relief as she went towards the elevator. _It's a good thing he didn't ask for a goodbye kiss! _

Rika was alone in the elevator until it reached the third floor, went out of it and met Miss Matsumoto who was wearing her usual black blazer, grey blouse and black skirt with her black shoes.

"Rika! Perfect timing!" Miss Matsumoto replied as she saw Rika.

_Sarcasm alert! _Rika thought and rolled her eyes. "Thanks, Miss Matsumoto!"

The two went inside their territory and they parted ways when Rika went to her own cubicle located two blocks away from the main door. Rika also saw Aimi offering her a cup of coffee.

"What's this?" Rika asked as she saw the cup.

"Coffee! What do you think?" Aimi pointed out. "Here!"

"Uh… Thanks, Aimi!" Rika answered and took the cup.

While drinking it, she saw Sakura approaching her desk as well.

"Hey, Rika!" Sakura said cheerfully.

"Hmm…" Rika mumbled and removed the cup to acknowledge the greeting. "Hey, Sakura!"

"So, how's everything?!" Sakura asked.

"Fine…" Rika said dully. Once Sakura started a conversation, there was no stopping her.

After the girls had dissipated to their seats, they started their work once again in their office. Rika did not mind working because she actually enjoyed it ever since she started here.

_What would happen to me if I wasn't married to Henry? _Rika thought as she saw the numerous financial statements in front of her. _Well, I'm still rich… Credits to my mom of course…_

That same day, Rika and her other teammates did not notice the time passing so they got reminded that they should have lunch already by Miss Matsumoto.

"Rika! Aimi! Sakura!" Miss Matsumoto almost yelled. "Aren't you ladies up for lunch?"

With that, the three ladies immediately got their bags because they brought lunches. Sakura had a grimaced look when the three of them got seated in Aimi's cubicle.

"What's with you, Yamamoto?" Aimi inquired, noticing her teammate's face.

"Oh nothing," Sakura said grimly. "Just stupid callers here and there!"

"Be glad you're not in my place! Always hearing Miss Matsumoto's spicy words!" Rika added.

Aimi only chuckled. With that, the three girls went to eat their lunch silently because all of them felt very hungry to talk at that time. Aimi was eating tempura with sushi; Sakura was eating sashimi while Rika was eating Chinese.

"Rika! What are you eating?" Aimi asked.

"Is that Chinese?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah! It's Chinese, alright!" Rika answered.

"Why are you eating Chinese?" Sakura asked.

_I've got a half-Chinese guy for a husband so why shouldn't I eat one? _Rika thought. "Because I have a friend who's Chinese and he cooked for me?"

"Wow, Rika! I'm envious! First, you captured Sir Henry but he's your friend and now you've got a Chinese friend!" Aimi added.

_Because that Chinese friend of mine is already my husband,_ Rika thought as she ate ravenously.

After eating, Sakura and Rika returned to their cubicles and found that it was thirty minutes before one. That moment, Rika was sitting on her swivel chair while waiting for the lunch hour to pass. Miss Matsumoto was loitering around her area as well as Aimi and Sakura.

"Girls," Miss Matsumoto began. "There would be a welcome party for Sir Henry today…"

The three subordinates of Miss Matsumoto only looked at her.

"Actually, that was supposed to be last week but there were many problems… So, we're going to eat at The Japanese House downtown after office hours," Miss Matsumoto explained. "Probably at five."

Rika only chuckled because the entire department planned a welcome party that was already two weeks late.

_Yeah right. Henry's already here for a couple of weeks! Why does he still need a welcome party? _Rika thought. _And, a welcome party on a Monday?! Are they kidding me? It would be best if the party would be held on a Friday so it'll be weekend the next day, right?_

Because of that, Rika remembered the weekend wherein she and Henry had gone to a carnival. She reminisced the moments when they celebrated Henry's twenty-fifth birthday and how they spent it together. With this, it brought a smile to her face.

"Henry…" she mumbled after she returned to reality.

However, she was surprised when she heard a familiar voice from the other side.

"Are you Rika Wong?" the woman said.

Rika turned to see Yuriko Sena, an employee who worked at the fifth floor. She decided to play cool since she did not know what the woman's intentions were.

"Uhm… Yes?" Rika answered reluctantly.

"Listen here, girl… Just because you and Henry have the same surname doesn't mean you'll get his attention, understand?" the woman demanded crossly.

"So, what are you to him?" Rika countered back.

"I'm his girlfriend!" Yuriko declared proudly.

_Oh really! Let's see about that when I turn to face Henry!_ Rika thought. "Oh… Alright… I'll ask Henry about your relationship with him if that's the case!"

"Ask him alright! And I know that he'll give the answer!" Yuriko replied crossly and went away.

Rika only shrugged, knowing that Henry would not do such things to her. Aimi ran to Rika's defense because she was surprised with what the woman said to Rika earlier.

"Uh… Rika? Are you fine? Did she say something to you?" Aimi asked.

"Oh, I'm fine… Jeez, I better advise Sir Henry that he should have the need to get married soon, otherwise he'd get crowded by a group of office girls!" Rika answered while scratching her head.

"Well… If our boss could have a wingwoman here in the company, that would be you!" Sakura answered.

Rika only smiled dryly. Being Henry's wife in the company posed a great torture to her own career. But after what happened during the weekend, she now knew that Henry could not womanize after all. She then returned to signing some papers.

Meanwhile, Henry was walking towards Rika's cubicle. He wanted to see Rika today because he did not have lunch with her since he went to attend a meeting with some executives of the company.

When Rika finally finished signing some papers, she realized that she had nothing to do so she grabbed a paper and started drawing something in there. Because she had kept much of her feelings for Henry during the last two years, she then resorted to sketching her and his face.

When Henry arrived at Rika's cubicle, he was already behind Rika when he found her drawing something on a paper.

"What's that?" Henry asked seriously.

"OH MY PACIFIST!" Rika almost shouted in surprise but unfortunately, she failed to hide what she had been scribbling.

Henry only laughed with Rika's action. _She must be drawing us…_

"Pacifist?" Henry said with a grin while he looked at the drawing Rika had made.

Rika became silent after that. She remembered that it was Henry's codename that they invented after they defeated the D-Reaper.

"So, you were thinking of me, aren't you?" Henry whispered in a jesting manner.

Rika only blushed in embarrassment. _I guess…_

Rika's teammates and Miss Matsumoto were already looking at them while Henry looked at the three as well.

"Have you girls eaten already?" Henry asked the three ladies.

"Yes, Sir!" the three chorused.

"Alright… I just went up… I'll see you all tonight!" Henry said.

When Henry finally left, Rika was still blushing because he had seen what she was doing with the piece of paper.

_It's embarrassing… _Rika thought. _Seriously!_

Meanwhile, Henry was smiling to himself because of the thought that Rika was thinking of him all along.

_The pacifist and the ice princess… _he wondered.

In the cubicle, Rika tried to hide the drawing in her bag to avoid suspicion that could possibly come from her teammates and her supervisor. She was still relishing the moments when she and Henry went to the carnival during the weekend.

_Okay… Back to work! _Rika thought.

When one struck the clock, Rika could see that almost all of the employees near her were getting their job seriously. Just as she was starting to type her narrative report, Miss Matsumoto paid her a visit.

"So, it looks like you're getting inspired, Miss Wong!" Miss Matsumoto grinned.

Rika smiled slyly because of Miss Matsumoto's actions. She did not know if the latter was actually honest or was just sarcastic.

"I don't know about inspired, Miss Matsumoto…" Rika answered deniably.

"Hmm… Then how come you're getting all the work done in a single day? Are you dating someone?" Miss Matsumoto asked.

Rika blushed. Even if she was married to Henry because of law and papers almost three years ago, she considered the answer as dating him for real this time.

"In a way… But I'm not sharing anything about my love life," Rika replied. "It's private!"

"Okay," Miss Matsumoto replied. "Since you're inspired, I'll be giving a typing job for you to do."

Rika wordlessly obeyed and placed them in front of her desk. She began typing them until her phone rang. She could see that it was Mrs. Nonaka who was calling.

"Hello?" Rika said as she placed the phone next to her ear.

_"Sweetie! How are you?" _Mrs. Nonaka asked.

"I'm fine… What made you call?" Rika asked while formatting her work in the computer.

_"I just want to say hi! Besides, it's your twenty-fifth birthday on Friday, isn't it?" _

"Yeah… Henry and I might only celebrate it though…" Rika replied.

_"So, how are things going with you and Henry?"_

"Actually, we're good…" Rika replied. "Still workaholics…"

_"Oh… Don't overwork yourself dear! There are things that are better than just working…"_

"I hope you're right, Mom," Rika said. "But believe me, I'm enjoying this a bit!"

_"Okay… Just be careful or you might get sick though! Mom's not here because she went with her friends so I took the liberty of being alone and called you."_

"Oh. Just say hi to Grandma for me. I still have files to finish, Mom. Bye and see you sometime!"

Rika then continued what she was doing. After a few minutes, she finished it and gave it to Aimi in her cubicle.

"What's this, Rika?" Aimi asked.

"The typewritten paper that Miss Matsumoto gave me. She needs it now," Rika answered.

"Okay!" Aimi said.

When she returned to her cubicle, she saw Mrs. Atsuko Nakara standing there.

"Hello, Miss Wong! Please sign this," Mrs. Nakara said, handing the girl the clipboard.

"What's this, Ma'am?" Rika asked.

"Nomination for Account Executive." Miss Nakara smiled. "We wrote your name but I felt it was wrong so I went here to check."

_CRAP, _Rika thought. _I better not run after the promotion because I have a feeling I won't even get promoted!_

After signing her full name and signature, she gave the clipboard to Mrs. Nakara and she bid her goodbye.

"This is getting worse," Rika mused.

* * *

That afternoon, Rika and the entire members of the department were already in the Japanese restaurant and they were waiting for Henry to arrive.

"Guys, Sir Henry would just be delayed…" Mika spoke up.

Rika eventually sat beside the chair where Aimi was seated along with Sakura. She became surprised when a guy sat beside her as well.

"Hey, Rika!" Masato said.

Rika rolled her eyes in disdain. _When will he stop bugging me?_

"Oh… Masato… It's you…" Rika said monotonously.

Aimi was telling a story while Rika was pretending that she was listening as well. However, when Aimi noticed that Rika was with Masato, she turned away for a moment.

_What?_ Rika thought of the reason behind Aimi who turned away. _Oh I know what she wants to imply. She wants me to talk to Masato._

Rika sat up straight but she did not talk to Masato as well. Masato spoke up yet Rika was not listening. But Rika noticed her left hand and saw her wedding ring.

_Oh! I nearly forgot that I'm wearing my ring!_ Rika thought. _Hmm…_

Rika turned to face Masato and deliberately showed her hand so he could see the ring. Unfortunately, it was not effective so Rika rolled her eyes.

"Anyway, Rika…" Masato began.

Rika turned to face Masato once again. "Yes, why?" she replied.

"Why did you change your marital status in your e-mail?" Masato asked.

Rika smiled deviously and pouted her lips to the direction where her wedding ring was located. Masato was flabbergasted because of what he saw and Rika was still smiling deviously once again.

"Are you serious? What happened? How come you told nobody about that?" Masato asked consequent questions.

Rika only shrugged. However, she saw Henry who was at the entrance and was also looking at them.

"Are you doing that so I could stop already?" Masato pointed out.

Rika smiled slyly._ Finally! You used your stupid brain!_

Rika then shook her head while Masato looked disappointed since he did not know the reason behind the ring and the status in Rika's e-mail. At that very moment, Henry just arrived to where Rika was.

"Hi!" Henry said good-naturedly.

"Hi, Sir! Good evening!" Masato returned the greeting.

Henry saw that Masato was sitting beside Rika.

"Can I sit in your chair? That's my favorite seat…" Henry said with a grin.

_Favorite seat?_ Rika thought with her eyes wide. _Why don't you just say "Get lost, idiot", Henry?_

Masato stood up after Henry said those words while Rika began to chuckle. Masato eventually went to the place where his teammates were. After hearing Rika chuckle, Henry smiled at her.

"Is it okay for me to sit next to you?" Henry asked Rika.

"Sure, SIR! No problem at all!" Rika answered and smiled as well.

Henry took the seat next to Rika. Unfortunately, just like in Henry's event a week ago, they only got glares from the ladies and gentlemen present in the welcome party. But Henry placed his arm around Rika's waist while she was unconsciously looking at somewhere. With this, Rika went to whisper on Henry's ear.

"Henry, we're in a public place! And besides, we can't divulge our secret, you know?!" she reminded.

"Why not? And besides, we should start telling people already…" Henry pointed out. "By keeping our married status secret, we're only attracting unwanted crushes and suitors in the office…"

"Point taken… But I still don't know when…" Rika answered in whisper.

Henry smiled and that implied to Rika that the answer would be soon.

Because the department felt that their president arrived already, they started dinner. The employees started getting food so they could eat. The young couple ate dinner as if they were just friends in front of the other employees.

"Food's delicious, isn't it, Rika?" Henry asked.

"You bet!" Rika answered with a smile and continued eating.

Later that evening, it was already time to go home while the others wanted to have a drinking session in the other venue. Meanwhile, Rika was already walking with Aimi outside of the restaurant so they could go home. She found that Henry was out of sight and she thought that he went to drink with his associates.

"Where are you going?" Aimi asked Rika.

"Westside of Shinjuku," Rika answered.

"I'm just going to the same directions as yours… Let's go then!" Aimi replied.

"Okay!" Rika said good-naturedly.

They were already walking when they heard a honking sound of a car. They turned around because of that and they could see that Henry alighted from the car.

"Come on!" he said to Rika and looked at her.

Rika looked at Aimi while Aimi kept on giving glances to Rika and Henry. Then Henry opened the door of the car that led to the passenger seat. Rika approached Henry afterwards.

"Uhm… Henry, can we bring Aimi along? She'll be at the other side of the block…" Rika said. _I felt sorry for Aimi. She even expected that we'll go home together._

Henry looked at Aimi and smiled. "Sure."

"Come on, Aimi!" Rika called out.

Reluctantly, Aimi rode at the middle part of the car. The three eventually left the restaurant and went to journey through Shinjuku. In the middle of the traffic, Henry began to speak up.

"Uh… Babe, Mom and Dad scheduled a flight to Hong Kong. They had so many emergencies…" he said.

Rika's eyes grew wide. _Babe?_

Eventually, Rika looked at Henry with her eyes still wide.

_He called me "Babe"?! Even in front of Aimi?! _Rika thought while Henry only smiled at Rika. _Was he kidding me?!_

"Anyway, do you still remember our month anniversary?" Henry asked Rika.

Rika became pale. Henry was now the person who was on the brink of divulging their secret. She tried her best to look at Aimi simply but failed.

_Are you an idiot, Henry? I know that you love me but don't do this to me!_ she thought frantically. _We're in front of Aimi and still you're calling me "Babe"?! We're getting our secret exposed!_

"Yes, of course… It's on Thursday," Rika answered casually.

With this, she finally got the guts to look at Aimi. Aimi looked like a pale statue while being seated behind them and her eyes were getting wider every second. Eventually, the three got out of the traffic.

"Aimi, where are you to?" Henry asked.

"Uhm… In Japan Condominiums, Sir!" Aimi replied nervously.

"Alright… We'll bring you there!" Henry offered.

"No thank you, Sir! Just drop me off at the corner where buses come and go!" Aimi replied.

"Are you sure, Aimi?" Rika asked.

Aimi just nodded. With that, the couple drove over to the nearest sidewalk where buses go through and dropped Aimi there. Rika bid her teammate goodbye and Henry stepped on the wheel once again.

* * *

Not long after, the couple arrived at their house. Rika was the first to get inside their room. Henry answered an important phone call so he stayed in the living room.

Meanwhile, Rika changed to a white sleeveless top and a pair of dark blue shorts and lied on the bed with the pillow under her head. She was worried about two things: one, her secret married life and two, her conversation with Yuriko Sena earlier which would definitely disturb Henry if she told him about it.

_How am I going to divulge our secret?_ Rika thought.

As she was in the middle of her thinking, she heard the door open. She turned to see Henry who just went inside.

"Hi, Honey!" Henry smiled.

Rika smiled but eventually returned to her serious mode of thinking. Henry noticed Rika's glum face and sat beside her.

"What's wrong?" Henry asked, placing his arm around her.

"Uhm… Nothing…" Rika evaded the question.

"Is it about how are we going to tell anybody?" Henry asked, looking at Rika in the eye.

"Nope!" Rika answered frankly.

"Then what is it?" Henry asked and held Rika's hand.

"Oh… It's just that I met Yuriko Sena from the fifth floor… saying that she's your girlfriend… But, I can't defend myself because I'm still keeping our secret…" Rika answered. "So, I had let her win earlier…"

"Well, some people just assume and dream too much… But don't worry… We'll tell anyone at the right time…" Henry assured and kissed her left hand.

Rika blushed because of Henry's gesture. "Okay…" she said.

"Now the hard stuff's out of the way, can I change my clothes?" Henry asked jokingly.

"Sure… I'll make sure that I won't make a peek!" Rika said and raised her right hand.

"Okay!" Henry said with a chuckle.

When Henry got out of the bed, Rika turned herself around with her head and body facing down. Her eyes were nearly closed when all of a sudden, she felt a hand stroke her hair. She turned to see Henry wearing a white shirt and grey shorts. He was smiling at her while lying next to her. With this, Rika changed her position wherein she was also lying on her back and she snuggled next to Henry.

"I love you," they said to each other.

* * *

The next day, Henry and Rika were not speaking a word to one another while journeying to their office. That was because both of them were still thinking of how to divulge the secret to their fellow workers. After an hour of travel, they arrived at the parking lot which was located at the basement. They rode an elevator afterwards.

_Oh crap. Another Tuesday morning, _Rika thought while being in the elevator.

However, the elevator opened at the ground floor and Henry saw Aimi, Rika's officemate. Aimi looked definitely surprised after seeing her boss but she did not made it obvious today. With this, Henry suddenly had an idea.

_Hmm, _Henry thought.

When the elevator opened at the third floor, Henry held Rika's hand and kissed her on her right temple. Aimi saw this so she eventually looked away.

"I'll see you later, Rika," Henry whispered to Rika but loud enough for Aimi to hear.

Rika did not move because she even did not know what or how to react with that.

_What kind of scene did Henry do this time?!_ _He even kissed me in front of Aimi! _Rika thought dubiously. _Even if I liked the move, still I don't like being caught in a public display of affection! Especially with the president of the company!_

Rika saw Aimi, who was staring aimlessly at her.

"What?" Rika asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Sir Henry's your boyfriend…" Aimi replied in a declarative manner.

"No…" Rika answered. _He's definitely not my boyfriend because h__e's my husband… But for now, we're just dating casually._

"No, but that's how it has been showing by Si…" Aimi replied but she was interrupted when Rika clamped her mouth because an employee just passed by.

Because of that, Rika widened her eyes at Aimi.

"Keep quiet, Aimi…" Rika whispered. "I'll explain at lunch later…"

Aimi and Rika both reached their cubicles after walking from the elevators.

_How shall I start with Aimi Ishida Natsuke? _Rika thought. Now that Aimi found out her secret relationship with Henry, there was nothing that could stop from divulging it.

Meanwhile, in Aimi's cubicle, Aimi could not work properly because of what she saw.

_So was that the reason behind her trips in the office when Sir Henry was still new? _Aimi thought. _They were having a relationship at that time?_

Aimi tried her best to focus but what was on her mind was about her discovery last night and earlier.

"Okay! Concentrate!" she said.

* * *

That same day, Rika went to Aimi's cubicle so they could have lunch together just like they planned earlier.

"Natsuke, let's go!" Rika said.

"Okay, Rika!" Aimi relented.

They went to the elevator so they could go the canteen located at the second floor. This time, they had lunch there to avoid suspicions from other people.

"So, since when did Sir Henry become your boyfriend?" Aimi asked before she and Rika could even sit down.

"He's not my boyfriend…" Rika replied, pausing for inspiration.

"Oh really? What about you and your conversation with Sir Henry last night like 'Babe, Mom and Dad scheduled a flight thingy'?" Aimi pointed out as she opened her food. "And you have that month anniversary or something!"

Because of that, Rika only laughed with Aimi's way of persuading her.

"He's not my boyfriend, alright? He's my husband!" Rika replied convincingly.

Aimi choked on the tempura that she was eating. She nearly threw them out because of her shock and Rika offered her a glass of water. Aimi was done drinking but she was not muttering a word and also her eyes were getting wide.

_What? _Aimi thought with wide eyes.

Rika only chuckled with Aimi's reaction so she told the long account of her story. Aimi was still not talking even if Rika already told the story and she looked at Rika as if the latter was a ghost and she became agape.

"Aimi… Please close your mouth," Rika instructed. "A fly might get inside your mouth…"

Aimi unconsciously closed her mouth and she was pondering the things that Rika told her. When she returned to reality, she regained her composure.

"Idiot!" Aimi countered.

Rika only laughed at Aimi's facial expression.

"Aimi…" Rika began.

"Hmm?" Aimi mumbled.

"Can you please tell no one about what you heard today?" Rika asked.

Aimi raised an eyebrow. "Why?" she asked.

"I don't want others to treat me differently… I prefer living my life as a normal employee," Rika answered.

"So that's also another reason why you won't let Masato hit on you, is that it?" Aimi inquired.

"Yes. But the actual reason was the one I told earlier. I don't want them to be playing good in front of me… while stabbing me from behind," Rika replied. "I'm begging you, Aimi. No one else should know about this!"

"I see. But until when are you going to keep your secret, huh?" Aimi pointed out.

Rika took a deep breath. She even did not know what the answer was.

"I don't even know, Aimi…" Rika said and returned eating. "In fact, I'm not even sure if this will be revealed… If I reveal about my secret identity, I'm just luring danger."


	16. To Sir With Love

**Author's Note: **I don't own Digimon or anything else. Just the plot and storyline. This is Chapter 16. Please read, review and suggest. Thanks! :D

* * *

**Chapter 16: To Sir With Love**

The next day, Henry woke up and saw Rika still sleeping. When he looked at his alarm clock, it was only 6:47 AM. He returned his eyes to his sleeping lady love.

"Morning, Honey!" Henry greeted.

"Five more minutes, Henry. I'm still tired!" Rika answered while her eyes were closed.

With this, Henry moved his face and pressed his lips gently onto Rika's so she could wake up. Rika felt this so she opened her eyes and found herself kissing Henry in the lips.

"Hmm?" Rika mumbled.

But Henry did not stop. He only deepened the kiss and Rika had no choice but to kiss him back while she felt numb with his sudden move. When they broke apart, Rika was blushing and Henry grinned at her.

"I'd love to make out with you, Rika, but I'm afraid that we might get late for work if we do so!" Henry added. "Come on!"

Rika was speechless and her right hand moved towards her lips. She began to stand up and started fixing their bed. She straightened their blanket and placed the pillows horizontally. Then she walked outside of their room and closed their door. She saw Henry who was standing near the stairway.

"Come on, Honey!" Henry said and extended his right hand.

"Anyway, what's with you and why did you have to kiss me?" Rika asked as Henry held her left hand while making their way downwards.

"You don't want?" Henry asked, pouting playfully.

"I want. But I just want to know why," Rika replied good-naturedly.

"I only did that to wake you up. You've been sleeping since eight last night!" Henry explained.

"Sorry, Henry. I'm really tired last night." Rika chuckled.

"Okay!" Henry answered.

When they reached the ground floor, Rika sat on the couch. Henry was making his way towards the kitchen.

"You sit there and I'll cook breakfast. I want you to taste something that I learned when we're apart from each other!" Henry said to her. "Just sit back and relax!"

Rika chuckled while shaking her head. _I'm really lucky to have him because he's like the old days when he treats me like this without the kissing._

Meanwhile, Henry was laying out the ingredients such as fish, cabbage, garlic, onions, oil and tomatoes. He fried the fish first and while waiting for it, he chopped the onions, tomatoes and garlic into tiny little pieces and placed them in a small bowl. He also heated the rice they had during dinner last night.

"Rika will definitely like this!" Henry mused as he placed the garnished fish on the cabbage and on the plate.

Henry went out of the kitchen with their food and saw Rika who made two cups of coffee.

"Hmm… Smells good!" she remarked.

"Wait until you taste it!" Henry chuckled and placed the fish on the table. He returned to the kitchen for their rice.

Rika laid the table and placed the cups as well while Henry went with the rice and placed it there as well. He sat down and motioned Rika to follow as well. When they finally sat down, Rika put the rice on Henry's plate and also on hers as well. Henry sliced the fish and gave some to Rika and took some for himself.

"Mm… Delicious… You're better than me, if you must know!" Rika chuckled after swallowing a piece of her fish.

"No! You are!" Henry countered with a smile.

Rika sighed in surrender. "Fine!" she added.

Then the two continued eating. Rika and Henry finished eating and stood up so they could lay the dishes on the sink. Henry offered to wash the dishes this time.

"You sure? I don't want you to complain!" Rika said to make sure.

"Of course!" Henry winked. "You better take a bath now."

"Okay!" Rika said cheerfully and scampered off quickly towards their room.

When Rika went to the room, she got out her red short-sleeved blouse, black skirt and her underwear so it would be easy for her to change clothes after taking a bath. After doing so, she went inside the bathroom located near their marital bedroom.

In the kitchen, Henry was washing his dishes when he saw the calendar that stuck near the refrigerator. He remembered that it was Rika's twenty-fifth birthday as on Friday.

"Oh… It's Rika's time to turn twenty-five on Friday…" Henry mused as he glanced at the calendar. "What can I do to surprise her? She wasn't surprised when we threw her thirteenth birthday party twelve years ago because Takato spilled the beans…"

Henry thought for a moment. He realized that it would be hard to surprise Rika after what happened during her thirteenth birthday.

"Oh well. I'll think about it tomorrow on our month anniversary!" Henry concluded while washing the dishes.

Afterwards, Henry dried the plates up and placed them inside the pantry. He immediately went to the bathroom near the living room so he could take a bath as well and get ready for work.

Meanwhile, Rika was finished taking a bath and from the bathroom, she returned to their room. She began to change into a red blouse that had sleeves that extended four inches from her shoulders and a black skirt. She was still deciding whether her hair should be tied or not.

_Nah… I'll just let my hair down! _Rika thought.

She was busy combing her auburn hair that extended to her mid-back. While doing so, she remembered how Henry ran his fingers through her long hair and whispered the things she always wanted him to say. She smiled while was thinking about yesterday night and today.

"Oh, Henry… What am I gonna do without you?" Rika mused while combing her hair.

Meanwhile, Henry was finished taking a bath and proceeded to go upstairs to his and Rika's room. As he was walking, he noticed drops of water on the floor and concluded that Rika had just got out from their bathroom. When he finally reached his room, he opened the door to see Rika still combing her auburn hair.

"Hey, Beautiful! You won't mind going out for a while?" Henry asked, implying that he needed to change clothes.

Rika turned her head and saw Henry once again only with a towel.

"Uh… Sure! I'm finished anyway!" Rika answered with no sign of awkwardness after seeing Henry half-naked. _What would I feel if I saw Henry totally naked? Nah… That won't happen though._

"Thank you!" Henry said as Rika walked away from their room.

"Yeah! No problem, Honey!" Rika replied casually.

Not long after, Henry closed the door and took off a grey long-sleeved button shirt that matched the color of his eyes and a pair of slacks from his closet. He slid his arms into his grey long-sleeved button shirt and slid his legs into his slacks after putting his underwear on. Now fully clothed, he opened the door and saw Rika apparently finished and her hair was tied up into a neat ponytail and she was also wearing a pair of black flat shoes.

"You ready? Sorry if I took much time," Henry said apologetically.

"I'm ready but you're silly. You can take your time because it's only 8:01 AM, you know?!" Rika chided him.

"Okay!" Henry replied. "Wait for me."

"Sure, I will!" Rika said.

Henry then slid his socks and put on his black leather shoes. He then combed his hair and fixed it, making his midnight-blue hair stay to the side and sprayed perfume on himself. After everything was ready, he went outside of their room and saw Rika standing.

"Shall we?" Henry asked.

"Okay!" Rika replied.

The two made their way downstairs. After reaching the ground floor, the couple checked if there were plugged electric devices and found none. They left the living room and locked the door. They went outside the gate towards their car and hopped in. The car was moving at a normal pace while traversing the city of Shinjuku.

* * *

Fortunately when they arrived at the building, no one was in the office yet so Henry felt free to accompany Rika to her workstation. When Rika went to her cubicle, she saw that Aimi was also there wearing a blue blouse and a black skirt with black shoes and her black hair was down.

"Hey, Aimi! What an early bird you are today!" Rika commented.

"I know right!" Aimi replied and eventually saw Henry. "Hi, Sir!"

"Hi, Aimi!" Henry returned the greeting. "So Rika, where am I going to place the folders that you got from your friend?"

"Just on the desk, Henry!" Rika pointed to the space on her desk.

"Looks like I'm going to call you Ma'am, huh, Rika?" Aimi snickered.

"Not yet and don't dare yet, Natsuke!" Rika snorted.

"Okay!" Aimi replied with a grin. "Ma'am Rika!"

"Urgggh!" Rika said as Aimi went off to the ladies' room laughing. She then turned to face Henry. "Sorry about that woman. She's crazy!"

"I don't mind… At least she treats us like normal people. She's unlike others who are terrified when they see their bosses!" Henry answered good-naturedly.

"I agree!" Rika said while standing on the file cabinet in front of her cubicle.

"Well I guess I have to go now. I'll be seeing my associates at exactly nine and it's 8:50 already!" Henry said and moved forward to kiss Rika on her forehead. "See you later!"

"See you too, Henry!" Rika said as she saw her husband walk off. "I mean Sir Henry!"

Aimi just watched the couple bid each other goodbye and patted Rika on her shoulder in delight.

"You're really lucky to have Sir as your husband!" Aimi said. "Looks like you two love each other very much!"

"I know Aimi and I can't believe it!" Rika chuckled.

"Just tell me if you want me to be a godmother to your future baby! I'm willing to be one!" Aimi grinned.

"Idiot!" Rika snorted while Aimi only laughed.

That same morning, Rika received a bundle of files on her desk which was given by Sakura.

"Hey, Rika!" Sakura said. "Get these things signed by our big boss!"

"Why me?" Rika asked.

"Do you think I'm brave enough to go to the fifth floor all by myself?" Sakura asked.

"Good point. The big boss, you say?" Rika said.

"Yes! Him and him alone!" Sakura explained. "Now go get them girl!"

"Fine!" Rika stood up and dusted herself as she also brought the folders with her.

Rika walked from her cubicle and went outside of her territory. She eventually found an empty elevator and got inside. She pressed five so the elevator would stop at the floor where Henry's office was located.

When the elevator landed at the fifth floor, she made her way to the reception area. But as she was walking, she felt suspicious after hearing sarcastic remarks from the rumormongers in the fifth floor territory.

"What did Sir Henry see in that Rika? Sir's too handsome for her!" one woman remarked.

"Yeah!" another added.

Rika ignored the rumors and continued walking. She walked until she reached the reception desk.

"Hi, Mika! Where's your employer?" Rika asked casually.

"He's inside, Rika," Mika answered casually.

"Okay!" Rika said. "Can I go in?"

"Sure!" Mika replied. "Papers?"

"Yep!" Rika answered casually.

Rika opened the door and saw Henry who just closed his laptop for charging.

"Hi, Honey!" Henry said in delight. "Missed me?"

"No! Why am I gonna miss you if you're just two floors away from me?" Rika chuckled. "Anyway, I got a package and it needs your signature!"

Henry took out a pen from his pen stand while Rika laid out the folders in front of his desk. She assisted him by handing the folders one by one.

"To Sir with love, Rika…" Henry grinned as he signed the first bundle. "I really pity you for working your ass off every day here, Rika."

"It's part of my life you know!" Rika said, smiling. "Don't worry about me. I've been here for two years already!"

While Henry was busy signing the papers, his mind went off track.

"Anyway, Rika, want to have lunch later?" Henry asked.

"I don't want…" Rika answered.

"Rika… Can't you spare me at least one hour of your office time?" Henry asked, feigning hurt.

"Because I'd definitely love to have lunch with you, that's why!" Rika chuckled.

Henry's face wore a smile. "You almost got me with that. I thought you won't go with me later!"

"You're so gullible, Sir!" Rika scolded him playfully. "You done?"

"Almost done!" Henry said as his pen circled the entire folder. "Next folder…"

"Here…" Rika said.

Suddenly, Rika's phone began to ring. When Rika picked her phone, she got a call from Jeri.

"Hello, Jeri?"

_"Hey, Rika? Are you free at twelve? I just wanna have lunch!"_

"Uh… Sorry, Jeri…" Rika said as her eyes went to Henry who was smiling at her. "I've got a lunch date with my husband later. I'm actually here in his office…"

_"And making out in his private room, I guess?!" _Jeri continued.

"Huh! We don't do that!" Rika protested. "Probably you and Takato do that!"

_"Of course!" _Jeri chuckled._ "Anyway, I just called… But I'm happy that you two of you are finally getting to get real this time!"_

"Yeah, Jeri!" Rika answered. "I'm really sorry for that."

_"No problem. Bye!" _Jeri said.

Rika dropped the call and removed the phone from her ear. She then looked at Henry who was already finished with the paper signing.

"Rika, I'm done!" Henry said and placed his pen in the stand once again.

"Oh! Thanks, Sir Henry!" Rika answered and straightened the files and carried them with her right hand.

"Rika, don't forget our date later, okay?" Henry reminded.

"Okay!" Rika replied and waved her hand. She made her way outside Henry's office and closed the door.

When he saw the door close, Henry smiled to himself.

"You're one of a kind, Rika… No wonder I'm so lucky to have you as my wife," he mused.

Meanwhile, Rika was walking towards the elevator when she saw Kenshin again.

"Hey, Rika!" Kenshin greeted.

"Oh. Hey, Kenshin." Rika returned the greeting dully.

When an elevator stopped at the fifth floor to take them down, Kenshin and Rika went inside it as well. Rika pressed three because she was supposed to return to her cubicle.

"So, what's brings you here in the fifth floor?" Kenshin asked after pressing two.

"I brought some important papers," Rika answered simply with her cold tone.

"Whoa! Wasn't that Raiden's job?" Kenshin said and scratched his head.

"I don't know about that." Rika shrugged.

"I see. Anyway, have you thought about the deal?" Kenshin asked.

"I'm sorry, Kenshin, but I don't have the answer for now," Rika lied. If she told the truth, she would be in big trouble.

"I'm not pressuring you," Kenshin assured. "I just want you to be sure."

_Really… I'm sorry because I'm married and it happened that my husband is your boss as well! _Rika thought.

The elevator stopped at the third floor and it opened there. Rika went outside and Kenshin bid her goodbye.

"I'll see you around, Rika!" Kenshin said.

Rika nodded and walked towards her territory. She saw Miss Matsumoto who was just at the front door.

"Did you bring the papers to Sir Henry, Rika?" Miss Matsumoto asked.

"Yes, Ma'am!" Rika answered.

"Okay. You may now return to your desk!" Miss Matsumoto answered.

Rika wordlessly went inside the territory. After a few more walks, she finally arrived to her cubicle and saw Sakura and Aimi creating a financial report.

"Rika, how do you these things?" Aimi asked.

"It's simple, Ai! All you have to do is to list all the assets, liabilities and liquidations. That's it!" Rika explained. "I'll give you the format."

Rika went to her cubicle and grasped for a folder that contained the financial reports that she used to make. When she took a piece, she gave it to Aimi.

"Thanks, Rika! You're the best teammate ever!" Aimi exclaimed. "I love you!"

"Say Rika, what happened to Masato and why isn't he bothering you anymore?" Sakura asked.

Rika and Aimi only looked at each other. Both of them were keeping the secret secured.

"Uh… Rika does not like to entertain suitors… She told Masato already, right Rika?" Aimi explained for Rika.

"Right!" Rika agreed. _Thank you, Aimi. That's what I'm going to say._

"Oooh!" Sakura chuckled. "That's a good one!"

Rika sighed in relief. _Phew! I almost got caught. Good thing, Aimi backed me up. _

Afterwards, the entire territory was getting ready for lunch so a few people remained inside. Aimi saw Rika busy sorting her files in one desk.

"Are you free this noon?" Aimi asked.

"Nope," Rika replied. "I'll be having lunch with the boss."

"Oh my gosh! You're going on a date with Sir! How romantic!" Aimi exclaimed.

_I don't see the difference between Jeri and Aimi! _Rika thought. "Yeah romantic…"

"Okay! I'll ask Sakura!" Aimi replied. "Okay! Enjoy your date!"

Rika smiled dryly and got her bag. "Ai, I have to go now. I'll see you later!"

"Sure, Rika! Have fun!" Aimi said and bid Rika goodbye.

Rika went outside her territory and found an empty elevator going down. When she got inside, she pressed "G" for ground floor. The elevator went down until she reached the ground floor. When it opened there, she went out and saw the blue-haired Henry standing not too far away.

"Sir Henry!" Rika said as she walked towards him.

"Miss Rika!" Henry grinned. "What took you so long?"

"I just finished sorting all the reports in my desk. It was a mess!" Rika explained.

"Hungry?" Henry asked.

"Yeah!" Rika answered simply.

When the two were far away from their building, Henry's left hand grasped Rika's right hand and walked so they could scout for a nearest restaurant. They saw a Japanese restaurant from afar.

"Want Japanese?" Henry asked.

"Sure!" Rika answered again.

The two walked towards the restaurant. When they got inside, they felt that a warm aura surrounded them. They saw an empty table for two and sat on it. A waitress went towards them and handed them separate menus while she stood there to take note of their orders.

"I'll have yakitori," Henry said. "What will you order, Rika?"

"Same as yours, Henry!" Rika said.

"Okay!" Henry smiled. "Two orders of yakitori."

"Okay, Sir!" the waitress said and went off.

Not long after, the food arrived and the couple began eating their lunch. While eating, Henry felt the need to tell Rika something.

"Rika…" Henry said to his wife.

"Hmm?" Rika mumbled. Her mouth was full for her to talk.

"I was thinking that you resign from your job," Henry said after swallowing a piece.

"So you wanted to fire me indirectly, Henry?" Rika joked after swallowing as well.

"No." Henry chuckled. "Not exactly… I wanted you to resign because now that I own the company, I realized that it's somehow yours…"

"So what are you implying then?" Rika inquired.

"You're my wife, remember? Everything I own is also yours. The company where you work is also yours," Henry explained further. "You better resign so you can find yourself a replacement."

Rika was surprised with what Henry said.

_What? I don't want to resign! I love my job even if it stresses me a lot! _Rika's first half of her mind thought.

_Well, originally, you had the plan to resign because you feared that Henry would fire you, remember? _the other thought.

"But I don't want to resign for real…" Rika replied slowly.

"I'll tell everyone tomorrow that you're my wife. Of course, it's not good to see that the wife of the CEO is also an employee, right?" Henry pointed out.

Rika realized something after remembering what happened in her cubicle last Monday and what could be the impact to her job if everyone in her territory knew the truth. She began to change her mind about telling that she was Henry's wife.

"Uhm… Henry?" Rika asked.

"Yes?" Henry looked up.

"I realized that we shouldn't tell anyone about our married status yet… Seriously!" Rika replied seriously.

Henry frowned. "What's wrong with it, Rika?" he asked calmly.

"No. There's nothing wrong with it. We'll tell it but it won't be now. Definitely, their treatment towards me will change if they figure that out. I realized that I wouldn't work just like normal if that happens. And yeah… I don't want to resign yet. I'm still enjoying my work for now!" Rika replied good-naturedly.

"Okay. One month," Henry agreed.

"Fair enough, Mr. Wong. Thank you!" Rika answered.

"You're welcome, Mrs. Wong!" Henry chuckled.

Because of that deal, Rika thought for a moment and scratched her head using her right hand.

"And what shall I do if I resign?" Rika asked after drinking her water.

"We could run the company by ourselves. We'll have a partnership here… And besides, I really don't want my wife to work under me… I want you to work with the same intensity as mine, you know?" Henry explained.

"Hmm… I don't know… since I worked as someone's subordinate for almost three years… so I got used to being the subordinate already," Rika answered.

"You said to me that if Mr. Nashita managed the firm greatly, I could do the same… You can also do it… Just believe in yourself, Honey," Henry smiled and touched Rika's hand.

"Maybe I guess," Rika said, somewhat agreeing to what Henry said.

"Unless you want to work as a model… That's what girlfriends of most CEOs are, right?!" Henry replied with a grin. "Models!"

"Henry!" Rika exclaimed. "You know pretty well that I won't do that!"

"I'm just kidding, Rika!" Henry said in pretend surrender.

The couple continued eating their lunch. When they finished, they laid the utensils to the side and drank water. Eventually, Henry requested for the bill so they could pay up.

"Uh, Henry? I'm going to go to the ladies' room," Rika said while standing up.

"Okay. I'll wait for you," Henry answered.

Rika went to the ladies' room so she could do her personal necessities there.

Meanwhile, Henry was waiting for the bill while being seated. He fidgeted for his phone and found messages from his father.

**"Henry, how are you and Rika?"**

**"We're fine, Dad. We just finished lunch." **Henry replied.

Then Janyuu Wong sent back a text.

**"Okay. That's good. Send her our best regards. And by the way, you two should work on our future grandchild, alright?" **

Henry chuckled because of his father's last sentence.

_I really want to have a kid!_ he thought with a smile. _Boy or girl… As long as it's from Rika and I._

"Sir…" Henry heard a voice. When he turned around, he saw the waitress with his bill. He paid the exact amount and the waitress left him.

_What's taking Rika so long?_ Henry thought.

Then he heard another feminine voice. "Sir Henry!" it said.

Henry turned around to see Takara Matsumoto, Rika's supervisor, calling him.

"Miss Takara! Hi!" Henry returned the greeting.

Miss Matsumoto went closer to Henry. "You alone, Sir?" she asked.

"Nope! I have my wife with me. She's in the ladies' room," Henry answered with a smile. _Number one is Aimi. Number two is Takara… Who will be next?_

Miss Matsumoto was obviously surprised with what Henry said. Her eyes were wide in confusion.

"W-Wife?" she stammered.

"Yes," Henry answered simply.

Miss Matsumoto was about to say a word when Rika arrived to where Henry was.

"There she is!" Henry said and held Rika's hand.

Even Rika was surprised to see Miss Matsumoto. _Oh my gosh. This is strike two for me! It's a good thing Aimi took my secret positively! What about her?!_

"Haha! Is this a joke?" Miss Matsumoto asked, disbelieved.

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Henry countered back.

Rika could not say anything while looking at Miss Matsumoto.

"We're going to leave now. See you at the office," Henry said and placed his arm around Rika's shoulder and they went off.

As the couple went off, Miss Matsumoto still wore a look of disbelief.

_I can't believe that Rika is actually married to Sir Henry! That must be the reason behind her trips to his office when he was still a newcomer! _Miss Matsumoto thought.

While they were walking, Henry's arm was still around Rika's shoulder.

"We're just talking about revealing our secret then you just told Miss Matsumoto about us!" Rika exclaimed. "What's next?"

"Then you will be Mrs. Wong in the company!" Henry winked.

"Henry!" Rika chided him. "But really, what are we going to do when our secret leaks out?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there!" Henry answered. "Right now is how we are going to tell them without creating a scene!"

"You're right!" Rika chuckled. "And it ain't funny!"

The couple continued walking towards their building. When they got inside the building, they separated because there were many employees even in the front desk.

"I'll see you later, Rika, and you owe me a kiss!" Henry chuckled.

"Okay fine! You'll have it later!" Rika countered. "Bye!"

"Bye!" Henry said as he stayed at the ground floor and dialed a certain number. "Hello, Jeri."

_"Henry!" _the other line said._ "Why the sudden call?"_

"Well. You know that Rika will celebrate her twenty-fifth and I want to surprise her. I need your help. All of you guys."

_"Okay. Leave it to us, Henry! Just all you have to do is distract her from going home tomorrow early!" _

"That's fine. Please notify her mom and grandma about this surprise."

_"Yeah, sure, Henry! No problem at all!" _Jeri said and chuckled from the other line.


	17. Gleeful Birthday

**Author's Note: **I already finished the entire story so I'll just simply add the stories and everything. When will I update after this? It's a SURPRISE!

I'm also going to have a two-chapter update. Sorry if you feel that it's OOC but the chapter really called for it. Promise.

This is Chapter 17. Please read, review and suggest. Thanks! :D

* * *

**Chapter 17: Gleeful Birthday**

It was five in the afternoon and Rika just got out from the elevator when she saw Henry waiting for her in the lobby. Fortunately, there were no employees loitering around the corners of the lobby when they met.

"Hi, Henry!" Rika greeted.

"Hi, Rika!" Henry returned the greeting with a smile.

"Why are you smiling?" Rika asked, noticing that Henry was smiling since earlier.

"I'm happy because you're the one who's in front of me." Henry grinned.

Rika smiled as well. "So where are we going to?" she asked.

"I thought you'd never ask!" Henry chuckled.

Henry's left hand held Rika's right hand and went outside of their building. They went to the parking lot at the basement of the building and got to their car. Henry opened the door for Rika.

"You really have something in mind, don't you, Henry?" Rika asked.

"Nope!" Henry answered with a grin.

Now that Rika was totally inside the car, Henry began to dial Jeri's number. When he heard Jeri speak up, he spoke up as well.

"Hello, Jeri?"

_"Oh, hello, Henry! What's up?"_

"Is everything going well at our house, Jeri?"

_"Oh yes, Henry! Everything's fine! I got a couple of dudes here and Rika's parents as well. Anyway, are you with her?" _

"Yes and she's totally clueless!"

_"She should be! Anyway, just say hi to Rika for me!" _

"Sure thing! I gotta go. Rika might get suspicious! Bye!"

_"Bye!" _

When he heard Jeri hung up, Henry hung up and placed the phone in his pocket. He immediately went inside the car.

"I saw you talking to someone. Who's that?" Rika asked.

"Uh… An associate… He wanted to set up a meeting with me on Monday," Henry lied.

"Oh… Okay," Rika replied.

Henry started the engine and eventually, they were leaving their building. As they were driving along the busy and car-filled highway, Rika noticed that the sun was about to set which caused the sky to turn orange.

_What could possibly happen on my twenty-fifth birthday tomorrow? _Rika thought. _I guess it would be simple now that I'm with Henry… Last year, Jeri and I dined outside and I shouldered it._

When they arrived at the part that had traffic, they stopped for a moment. Henry noticed that Rika was spacing out.

"Are you okay, Rika?" Henry asked.

"Yeah… I'm just thinking that I'll turn twenty-five hours from now," Rika answered, looking at Henry. "But don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

Henry then grasped for Rika's left hand while the car was in its static state. When the traffic was gone, the car moved once again. Henry kept on driving until they reached a restaurant. With this, he pulled the car to a stop and they parked there. Henry went down first so he could get Rika to alight from the car. When she was already outside the car, Henry locked it.

"So, Henry, we're on a date once again, huh?!" Rika chuckled. "This time, it's our month anniversary!"

"Yeah!" Henry grinned. "We're married for thirty-three months already."

"You counted that?" Rika asked, amazed.

"Of course!" Henry grinned. "Even the months that we're apart, I still counted it. So, shall we?"

Rika nodded and the couple walked towards the restaurant. When they got inside, they felt the ambiance of Italian lifestyle inside the restaurant. There was a mixture of scent of the spices and herbs inside it.

"Talk about hungry…" Rika mumbled, out of the blue.

"I brought you here so you could experience eating heavy Italian," Henry explained.

"Italian reminds me of Zoe Orimoto." Rika chuckled. "Our classmate in college!"

"I agree!" Henry replied while holding Rika's hand.

The couple found an empty table. Henry had let Rika sat first before he followed suit. A waitress arrived and handed them menus. Henry and Rika were reading the menu at the same time.

"Uh… We'll have the pasta with Alfredo sauce," Henry said. "And a bottle of champagne, please…"

Rika smirked after hearing Henry's order and gave the menu to the waitress as well. After the waitress walked away from them, Henry noticed that Rika had been smirking at him.

"What's with you?" Henry grinned.

"You do read my preferences well," Rika answered. "Champagne."

"Of course! I know what your types are because that's how I love you that much." Henry winked.

"I hope you're not fooling me with that one!" Rika chuckled.

"I'm definitely not!" Henry added.

"Very good!" Rika answered with a sly grin.

Not long after, their food was served along with the bottle of champagne. Henry and Rika said their grace and dug in. When they were finished, Henry took Rika's wine glass and poured the champagne in it and he followed it with his own. Rika grasped for the glass while Henry held his.

"To Mr. and Mrs. Wong!" Henry said as he raised his glass in the air.

Rika giggled as she raised her own glass and met Henry's and that caused their glasses to sound.

"To Mr. and Mrs. Wong!" she echoed and the two of them sipped from their glasses.

Not long after, the couple finished the entire bottle. But both only had champagne so they did not get drunk. Afterwards, Henry asked for the bill so he could pay up.

"I thought you'd become tipsy just like what happened." Henry winked as the waitress left.

"Uh-uh! No way!" Rika replied with a laugh. "I'm not going to be drunk like that! We only drank champagne!"

"I know that!" Henry agreed.

After a few minutes, Henry heard a voice from his side."Sir…"

When he turned around, he saw the waitress with his bill. He paid the exact amount and the waitress left. With that, the couple went out of the restaurant and hopped in their car. While they were driving, Henry found a perfect spot for them to look at the stars near the trees. He then parked near it.

"You wanna go star gazing?" Henry asked. "It's a perfect time for it."

"Okay!" Rika answered.

The two slightly sat on the edge of the car. Both of them looked at the stars peacefully. Henry laid his arm around Rika while Rika laid her head on Henry's right shoulder.

"Henry…" Rika said, looking at Henry.

"Yes, Rika?" Henry asked.

"Thank you for tonight," Rika said. "I appreciated it."

"You're welcome, Rika," Henry said and held his auburn-haired wife close to him. "I'm glad I made you happy."

Rika giggled. However, it was short lived when they heard fireworks roaring in the air.

"Wow!" Rika remarked. "They're beautiful!"

"But nothing's more beautiful than you." Henry chuckled.

"HENRY!" Rika exclaimed and blushed.

Then the couple resumed watching as the fireworks dominate the night sky.

"Happy month anniversary, Rika!" Henry said.

"Happy month anniversary, Henry!" Rika answered back.

* * *

It was 11:54 PM when the couple returned to their home and Rika fumbled for her house keys.

"Oh! Where did I put those keys?!" Rika grumbled.

"You need help?" Henry offered.

"A good lighting, I guess…" Rika said as she continued searching for her house keys.

Henry opened his phone so its light would be used to find Rika's keys. When Rika finally found them, she used it to open the door and turned the light on. When the light opened, there was a…

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RIKA!"

Rika was amazed since she did not think that her friends and family would surprise her on her twenty-fifth birthday. She saw her mother, her grandmother, Takato, Jeri, Kazu, Kenta, Ryo, Alice, Zoe, Takuya, Koji, Koichi, Tommy and JP.

"Guys, you shouldn't have!" Rika commented.

"It's our pleasure, Rika! It's your birthday!" Jeri assured. "Happy twenty-fifth birthday!"

Rika hugged Jeri in joy. She then turned to her mother and grandmother.

"Oh, Rika! I can't believe you used to be my baby girl and now you're already married at twenty-five! Happy birthday, sweetie!" Mrs. Nonaka said while hugging Rika.

"Happy birthday, dear!" Grandma Seiko said and had her turn in hugging Rika.

"Thanks, Mom and Grandma!" Rika said in happiness.

"We cooked everything for you, Rika!" Takato said.

"Yeah, Wildcat! Happy birthday!" Ryo chuckled while being beside Alice. "From me and Alice! Let's eat!"

Rika turned to face Henry and smiled. "Come on, Henry!" she said and pulled his hand. "Looks like these thugs planned something for me!"

Henry followed Rika after and smiled. He could not believe that he made Rika happy again after their carnival trip during his own birthday.

When they were eating, Rika joined Jeri and her friends.

"Say, Jeri… Thanks for the surprise!" Rika said as she ate her sushi. "I owe you one."

Jeri chuckled. "Uh… Rika, I think you shouldn't thank me!" she added.

Rika raised an eyebrow. "Why not? It's you who surprised me!" she said.

"No, I'm not!" Jeri denied.

That very moment, Jeri saw Henry walking towards them and returned her gaze to Rika.

"It's him you should thank," Jeri said, pouting her lips eastward.

Rika looked to the direction where Jeri's lips pouted. She saw Henry and the thought of him throwing her a surprise party made her blush.

"Henry? He's the one behind this?" Rika asked consequently.

"Why don't you try asking your hubby, Rika?" Jeri chuckled.

Henry eventually arrived to where Rika was. Jeri stood up in order to leave the married couple alone.

"I'd better go and rejoin Takato!" Jeri said, bringing her plate of food with her.

Now alone, Rika took the opportunity to ask Henry.

"Henry?" Rika asked, looking at his calm and grey eyes.

"Yes, Honey?" Henry asked.

"Did you plan this surprise party for me?" Rika asked.

Henry took a deep breath. _I just hope she says she likes this._

"Yes," Henry's answer came.

Rika felt her cheeks turn hot. First, she and Henry celebrated their month-anniversary as a couple and now, he even surprised her on her twenty-fifth birthday.

"I… I… Thank you…" Rika managed to say.

Henry held Rika's chin through his first two fingers and smiled. "You're welcome!" he added.

Rika's face slowly formed a smile.

"Are you enjoying?" Henry asked.

"Of course!" Rika said with giggles and kissed him in the cheek.

Then they heard Zoe speak up. Henry and Rika looked in front.

"Paging Mr. and Mrs. Wong! You better go here so you can see what our next surprise to Rika is!" she said.

Henry and Rika looked at each other and smiled. Henry brought Rika's plate since the latter was not yet finished eating. They saw two vacant seats with Henry letting Rika sit first then him.

"We have a short presentation for our birthday girl!" Zoe said while narrating. "Jeri, start!"

Jeri appeared in front of the audience as Rika with her hair tied into a ponytail and she was wearing a white shirt and a pair of blue jeans. Rika stifled a laugh with Jeri's appearance but she accepted it as herself.

"I am Rika and for me, Digimons are only used in fighting!" she spoke up.

Then Alice came to her side. She was wearing a long-sleeved yellow shirt and yellow pants courtesy of Kazu. Her pigtailed blond hair made it distinguishable that she was the yellow fox Digimon.

"Rika, from now on you'll be my partner!" Alice said, trying her best to make her voice deep for a woman.

"And as she journeys from being a normal kid to being a tamer, she meets several characters!" Jeri narrated. "Like Ryo Akiyama, the famous Digimon King!"

Then Kazu entered the scene as Ryo with his trademark red scarf on his neck and grey shirt and brown pants. His hair was made to be spiky for the presentation.

"Hey, Wildcat! What's up?" Kazu said to Rika, imitating Ryo's voice.

"Shut up, Ryo!" Jeri said to piss Kazu's character while Kazu as Ryo made a face.

Rika threw fits of laughter after seeing Jeri depict her character. It was definitely like herself.

"Gaaaad, Jeri!" Rika exclaimed in between laughs.

"And she made lots of friends like Henry, Takato, Kazu, Kenta and Jeri during her journey in the digital world!" Jeri continued.

Takato showed up as Henry who wore the orange vest and black shirt with the brown pants that Rika gave Henry, Kenta showed up as Takato while wearing a blue hoodie jacket and grey pants, while Zoe, who wore a brunette's wig, played Jeri and wore a yellow dress. Kazu was portrayed by Takuya who removed his goggles and wore the visor Kazu had while Koji played Kenta and wore Kenta's glasses. Rika almost lost her insanity because of her friends and their presentation.

"I didn't know all of you can act!" she laughed. "And mind you, you really made an effort to be like yourselves!"

"And the four of them defeated the D-Reaper: Henry, Takato, Rika and Ryo!" Jeri narrated.

Takato, Kenta, Jeri and Kazu stood up and bowed. Rika and Henry were smiling since they definitely showed up awesomely.

"And years later, they grew up to be awesome adults!" Jeri said. "During their last year of college, Henry got married to Rika!"

Takato knelt in front of Jeri and gave her a "ring".

"Rika Nonaka, will you marry me?" Takato as Henry asked.

"Yes, I will," Jeri as Rika answered.

Rika and Henry looked at each other.

"Yes, we've got Mom and Grandma as audience but this is a hopeless romantic's way of proposing!" Rika commented.

"Just let them be! It's just a practice on how they're going to propose to each other!" Henry replied with a wink.

"And they lived happily ever after in the same company and house!" Jeri finished with her and Takato portraying the employee and the boss this time and bowed.

The two were joined by their fellow characters and bowed as well. Rika and Henry as well as Ryo applauded for their friends' performance.

"So, birthday girl, did you like it?" Jeri asked as soon as she got down towards Rika.

"Of course, Jeri!" Rika chuckled. "Who wouldn't like the way you delivered my line?"

Then the entire house was filled with merriment as Rika celebrated her twenty-fifth birthday.

* * *

Even if the party finished at almost three, the couple woke up at seven-thirty so they could prepare for their trip to Kyushu. Rika showed no traces of exhaustion as well as Henry when they stood up in their room because they were used to staying up late already when their jobs called for it.

"Are we late?" Rika asked.

"Hopefully not," Henry answered.

"Let's take a bath at the same time and at different bathrooms!" Rika suggested.

"Good idea!" Henry said.

Henry and Rika took a quick shower in different bathrooms so they could be early for the 9:00 departure of the plane. When they finished their shower, both of them changed clothes in the bathroom so there would not be hassle when they return to their bedroom.

Rika returned to the bathroom wearing a white shirt with blue sleeves and a pair of black jean shorts with her black slippers while Henry wore a black shirt and brown cargo shorts and white shoes. Henry looked at his bag for their tickets for the plane flight and found them easily.

"Rika, can you keep the tickets?" Henry asked as he handed Rika the tickets.

"Sure! No problem at all!" Rika answered and she placed it in the shoulder bag that was on the bed.

"Let's go?" Henry said after checking the appliances for plugged cords.

"Okay!" Rika answered.

The couple went downwards and Henry raced down so he could check for plugged cords. Fortunately, there were none so they quickly got outside of their house with their luggage. The couple luckily found a taxi and they hopped in.

"Tokyo International Airport, please…" Henry said to the driver while he sat beside Rika.

"Okay, Sir!" the driver said.

They traveled along the busy highway of Shinjuku. Since they lacked sleep, the couple slept inside the taxi with Henry's left arm around Rika while Rika laid her head on Henry's shoulder. When the taxi stopped at the airport after minutes of driving, Henry felt it and woke up. He shook Rika gently.

"Rika, we're now at the airport," Henry said, waking Rika up.

Rika nodded and opened her eyes. When they were finally awake, the driver was finding a spot where to stall for a moment so he could unload the couple. The couple could see that the airport was bustling with local and international travelers who were about to leave and enter Japan respectively. Then the taxi came to a stop.

"This is the nearest unloading station I could drop you, Sir!" the taxi said to Henry. "Enjoy your flight!"

Henry paid the taxi and thanked him. "Thank you. Come on, Rika!"

The couple alighted from the taxi and took their luggage from the trunk. When everything was clear, they walked inside the airport. From there, they underwent check-ups from security and for their luggage as well. After they got cleared and their tickets inspected, they embarked into the plane.

"I'm glad today's' a holiday…" Rika mused as they were walking towards the third row.

"I agree," Henry answered. "That is also why I planned this trip!"

When they got seated, Rika again yawned and Henry noticed this.

"Why don't you sleep again?" Henry asked. "We won't be seeing anything until after two hours, you know?"

Rika nodded and settled to sleep once again with her head on Henry's shoulder. Not long after, Henry followed suit with his arm around Rika's shoulder.

* * *

Later that day, the plane landed in Kyushu and the flight attendant announced their disembarking.

"Attention, passengers! We're now in Kyushu Airport. Please check your things as we disembark from the plane!" the flight attendant said.

At this time, Henry and Rika were now wide awake. They checked their things and took them immediately. Not long after, they got the signal to stand up as well so they could leave the plane. The couple went outside and they saw a shuttle van that would take them to the mainland.

"Mom had been here in Kyushu," Rika answered as the tour guide let them inside already. "She told me that it's the best swimming island ever."

"Same with my mom!" Henry chuckled as he followed Rika.

Moments later, the van started and began traveling towards the hotel located at the mainland. It was not too far from where they disembarked and they arrived to their destination so the passengers alighted. When Henry and Rika alighted, they immediately got their things and went to the receptionist.

"Room for two for Mr. Henry Wong," Henry said to the receptionist.

"Yes, Sir," the receptionist said and checked the files. "Mr. Henry Wong… Room for two in 106. Here are your keys, Sir!"

"Thank you!" Henry said as the receptionist handed him the keys.

Henry turned around and called Rika. "Come on, Rika!" he said while taking the bags. "We're going to our hotel room!"

"Okay!" Rika said and carried her bag.

They walked for a while and saw their room. They opened it and saw the white room that had a queen-sized bed, a television, a refrigerator and a large closet where they would keep their things.

"It's so huge!" Rika said in amazement as she fixed their things.

Henry led Rika to the terrace. "Come on, Rika! We can see the ocean through here!" he said.

Rika went out and stood beside Henry. "Nice scenery…" she mused.

The two were enjoying the scenery while Henry was hugging Rika from behind.

"Rika…" Henry said.

"Hmmm?" Rika mumbled.

"Are you happy with me?" Henry asked suddenly.

"What kind of question is that?" Rika asked, surprised.

Henry hugged Rika even tighter. "I just thought, what could have happened if you didn't agree to marry me before?"

Rika began to think as well. _Yeah… What could've happened if I didn't marry him?_

"Don't think such silly things, Henry!" Rika chided him.

Henry did not speak up for long. Instead, he kissed Rika's auburn hair.

"You didn't answer my question, Rika," Henry said seriously.

Rika just laughed. _What's with Henry today? Why's he worried?_

"Did you ever regret that you married me? Even once?" Henry asked again.

Rika removed Henry's hands from her neck and turned around to face him.

"What's happening to you and why are you asking like that?" Rika asked this time.

Henry did not speak again. He was looking at Rika's violet eyes.

"Is that what you feel? You regret it? You're not happy with me?" Rika asked consequently. "Is that why you're asking like that?"

Rika felt a sharp pang of pain course through her upon thinking that Henry must have regretted that he married her.

"I'm happy… very happy ever since we're only falsely married. Don't ever think otherwise!" Henry assured. "I'm asking if you regretted what happened to us years before."

"I don't know how to say this but I first didn't like what happened," Rika explained. "I know you only married me because it was just to show your parents how good you really were and I know you're still searching for the right girl and I don't want to hinder your happiness that time, so I left you alone."

"The right girl you're saying is right in front of me. You alone, Rika, are the only one for me," Henry said. "So, back to my original question… Are you really happy with me?"

"Yes, I am…" Rika replied with a smile. "Even before I left, I always felt happy with you at that time."

"I'm glad. It's just our pride which suppressed our happiness. That NO-STRINGS ATTACHED deal!" Henry smiled.

"I agree…" Rika answered.

Henry fidgeted for the necklace in his pocket. When he got a grip of it and took it from his pocket, it was a silver chained necklace with a heart-shaped locket.

"Close your eyes, Rika…" he instructed her. "… and turn around."

Rika did what she was told so her back was facing Henry. "Is that something for me?"

"You'll see!" Henry chuckled and fixed the necklace so it would be easy for him to fasten it.

Rika became silent and waited for Henry to place the necklace. Henry held the necklace with his two hands and placed it around Rika's neck and fastened it securely. Rika felt the locket touch her chest slightly.

"Can I open my eyes? Something hit me…" Rika said while her eyes were still closed.

"Yes. You can!" Henry answered with a smile and turned her around so she could face him.

When Rika opened her eyes, she was amazed by what she saw.

"Wow! It's beautiful!" Rika exclaimed.

"Just like you!" Henry winked.

"Henry!" Rika blushed.

"I was supposed to give that to you … but you left me on that day. However, I made it sure that I would give the locket once we meet again. But I was wrong… because I gave it to you on your special day," Henry explained. "Happy birthday, my beloved ice princess."

Rika smiled and her eyes were twinkling. "Thank you, my beloved pacifist!" she added.

"Open it!" Henry coaxed her while chuckling.

Rika felt for the locket and opened its lock. She saw a picture of Henry and hers when they were in their teens.

"You remember the time when we're like that?" Henry asked. "The aftermath of the Digimon, when you started to open up and everything…"

"I know!" Rika replied and looked again into Henry's eyes. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Henry said. "Wanna go swimming?"

"Sure!" Rika agreed.

The couple went to their room and changed into their swimwear. Afterwards, they got out of the room with Henry wearing a pair of green shorts while Rika was wearing a blue one-piece and backless swim suit. They walked towards the beach.

Not long after, Henry mischievously ran towards Rika and carried her. Rika was surprised.

"What the… Henry!" Rika exclaimed.

While carrying her, Henry's feet eventually reached the ocean. He mischievously threw Rika on the water causing Rika to shout.

"Henry Wong!" she exclaimed.

With that, Henry only laughed while Rika smiled dryly.

"Two can play at this game!" she snorted.

While he was laughing, Rika shoved the water towards him. Henry stopped laughing when the salty water splashed into his mouth and Rika only laughed at him. Henry smiled at Rika and he stepped forward, causing Rika to swim with her arms paddling forward. But when Rika rose to the surface and stood up, she did not see Henry.

_Where could that Blue Hair be? _she thought.

However, Rika felt that a hand grabbed her foot so he sank into the shallow water. It was actually Henry who then raised her from being sunk in the sea. Rika coughed a bit after accidentally drinking the salty water.

"You idiot!" Rika berated Henry and smacked his arm.

Henry laughed and hugged Rika tightly. Rika did the same to him.

"I wish time would stop and let me be with you every day," he whispered seriously in Rika's ear.

Rika stopped because she did not expect that he would say that to her. Henry broke a bit and placed his hands on Rika's shoulders while looking into her violet eyes.

"Don't leave me again, okay?" he said with his grey eyes looking at Rika's.

Rika smiled and nodded. This time Henry hugged her even tighter with Rika returning it as well.

The couple eventually stopped swimming and decided to change clothes for the night. They returned to their room so they could rinse.

Henry went inside the bathroom first and Rika would be the second. After he finished his quick shower, he changed into a white shirt and blue jean shorts and went outside. Rika went inside so she could have her turn. When she was done, she changed into her red shirt and white shorts and went outside the bathroom.

"Shall we?" Henry asked and Rika nodded.

They walked towards the dining hall of the hotel and saw many tourists having dinner and getting food from the buffet table.

"I'm hungry. That's because we didn't eat lunch!" Rika said.

Henry and Rika managed to go to the buffet and fortunately, the line was short already. They took the same food items: sashimi, sushi, Japanese pork, tempura and rice. They found two seats in one table and settled there. They ate quietly because most of the diners were noisy already.

When the couple returned to their room that evening after dinner, Henry went to his baggage and took another gift from it. Rika sat on their bed while waiting for Henry.

"Honey, I almost forgot to give you this!" Henry said and gave Rika a white gift-wrapped box with a blue ribbon. The box was as large as a book.

"What's this second surprise, Henry?" Rika asked with interest.

"Open it first…" Henry instructed as he sat beside Rika.

"Okay!" Rika answered and proceeded to open the gift.

After tearing the wrapper and throwing it away with the ribbon, Rika opened the box. Inside the box was a stuffed fox that was colored yellow and white.

"Wow! A stuffed fox!" Rika exclaimed. "It's nice!"

"Who does she remind you of?" Henry grinned.

Rika thought for a while and her eyes twinkled once again. "Renamon!" she answered.

"Just to remind you of her… I know you miss her. That's why I picked the fox instead of the teddy bear," Henry replied.

"Thank you. I didn't expect that you'd give me such memorable gifts!" Rika answered.

Henry smiled, "This is the first time we celebrate your birthday as a married couple so I decided that everything will be special and memorable. You made my twenty-fifth birthday memorable, Rika, and it's my turn to return the favor."

Rika pinched Henry's cheeks playfully. "You baka!" she chuckled.

"And, that stuffed toy will serve as your practice while we're not yet having a baby!" Henry grinned.

"We're going to have a baby?!" Rika asked, feigning innocence.

"Yes. We're married and that's one of the things we should also have aside from a house!" Henry grinned. "Besides, my parents are already wondering when we are going to make one!"

"If your parents are wondering, my guardians are asking if I'm already pregnant! But in reality, I just learned to sleep beside you last Saturday!" Rika giggled.

"I know that our time to become parents will just arrive at the right time. For now, I'll just enjoy my married life with you, Rika," Henry replied with a smile. "After all, it's just very recently when we had finally gotten together."

"Okay. Let's just take it slow!" Rika agreed. "Wait a minute, Henry. I've something to give to you… a belated birthday present."

Rika went to her luggage and fumbled for a box in there. She found a green and white colored box and gave it to Henry.

"Belated Happy Birthday, Henry!" Rika said as she sat on the bed. "Sorry if that's the content of the box now. My boss doesn't increase my salary today!"

Henry only laughed with Rika's comment. He followed it with opening the box. When he opened it, he found a personalized key chain.

"Thanks! It's so nice!" Henry said while looking at the key chain and read what was engraved. "Wow… Henry and Rika forever…"

"I couldn't think of anything when the saleslady asked me… so that's what I said!" Rika answered coyly.

"Forever…" Henry smiled at Rika as she sat down.

Their foreheads rubbed against each other as Henry's hand touched Rika's face.

"Thank you for the gift, Rika. I liked it very much!" he smiled.

When they broke away, they were looking at each other while being seated on the bed.

"Thank you again," Rika said. "But I can't believe that you brought this stuffed toy all the way from Shinjuku!"

"I wanted to give it to you on your exact birthday that's why," Henry explained.

"But I already have the best gift," Rika said with a smile.

"What?" Henry asked, wondering what it was.

"You." Rika finished with a smile.

With this, Henry held Rika's face as they slowly lied down on their bed while looking at each other's eyes and their faces wore sweet smiles.


	18. Anomalous Phone Call

**Author's Note: **I already finished the entire story so I'll just simply add the stories and everything. When will I update after this? It's a SURPRISE!

I'm also going to have a two-chapter update. Sorry if you feel that it's OOC but the chapter really called for it. Promise.

To make things clear, I don't own Digimon and any other things related to them. This is Chapter 18. Please read, review and suggest. Thanks!

* * *

**Chapter 18: Anomalous Phone Call**

That Monday, Rika woke up early in Shinjuku because she and Henry returned from Kyushu yesterday. She saw her husband who was still sleeping and tucked under the blankets and she shook him to wake him up.

"Morning, Henry…" Rika greeted.

Henry only smiled and woke up to see Rika smiling at him.

"Aren't we perky this morning?" Henry teased. "Huh, Honey?"

"Nope!" Rika answered with a chuckle.

"You look as if you're full of energy, Rika!" Henry added.

"Well. I couldn't help but get charged because of you, Henry!" Rika replied, smiling.

Henry kissed Rika on her cheek, causing Rika to blush. When he broke away, he shoved the blanket so they could prepare for work. While on the bed, Rika saw the stuffed fox that Henry gave her while Henry fumbled for his car keys.

"What did you do with the keychain I gave you last Friday?" Rika asked.

Henry showed his car key set with the keychain Rika gave him.

"It's here," Henry said, twirling the keys in front of Rika.

"Oh… That's fine!" Rika said, smiling. "Sorry if I asked!"

"Don't worry about it!" Henry assured. "Let's go?!"

Rika nodded and Henry held her hand as they walked downstairs. When they reached the ground floor, Henry instantly opened the main door and found a large black-and-white-striped cat standing in front of them while meowing continuously. He recognized the cat immediately as he knelt down in front of it.

"Hello there…" Henry said and held the cat. "You hungry?"

The cat only purred in Henry's hands. Henry took it as an answer that the cat was hungry while Rika's face wore a look of surprise.

"Since when did you start to love cats?" Rika asked. She knew that Henry never liked cats before.

"After you left… I found this cat standing on the front door then I gave him food…" Henry recalled. "Then two weeks later, he went away…"

"Wow… Looks like you two had a reunion!" Rika answered with a smirk. "After two years!"

"I know… If you have a stuffed toy then I have a cat!" Henry grinned.

"Very funny, Henry!" Rika answered as she started walking towards the kitchen. "Very funny!"

While his wife was in the kitchen, Henry went immediately to the refrigerator to get water. Using his left hand to carry the cat, he got water and poured it on a small bowl while closing the refrigerator door using his whole body. He laid the cat down and the bowl as well. Eventually, he watched the cat drink water.

"You'll eat later, okay? Rika's going to cook for three!" Henry smirked as he patted the cat.

Meanwhile, Rika was cooking fish fillet and fried rice in the kitchen. She was still laughing with what she saw earlier.

_Henry and a cat?_ Rika thought. _That doesn't seem right!_

When she finished with them and placed each of them in their bowls, she placed it on a tray. She went to the dining room and found the cat brushing against Henry's leg.

"Looks like somebody here missed Henry so much!" she said dryly as she saw Henry's cat brushing against his leg.

Henry gazed at the cat brushing against him. He stifled a laugh.

"I know… The two of you miss me!" He winked.

"Did you feed him?" Rika asked as she approached the dining table.

"Just water. I told him that you're still cooking," Henry explained.

Rika took one fish fillet and broke it into pieces. She gave one chunk to the cat and the cat ate it contentedly. She gave it a pat and washed her hands while Henry went on to set the table. When the cat was still eating the fillet, the couple sat and began eating. It was quiet until the cat meowed again. With this, Rika gave another fish while she was eating. Henry also threw a piece to help the cat further.

"At least it's fish, right?" Rika asked.

Henry nodded. Not long after, both of them finished eating. Rika got the dishes and piled them in the sink so she could wash them. Henry again gave the cat some water. When Rika left Henry, he was with the cat and when she returned, she saw him again with the cat.

"Henry, don't get amused with the cat," Rika said in amusement. "We still have to report to work."

"Okay, Ma'am Wong…" Henry winked.

Rika shuddered. "Don't call me that!" she protested.

"Why not?" Henry asked dubiously.

"Whatever!" Rika said with a raise on her shoulders. "I have to bath before I get stuck here with you."

"Okay," Henry said.

When Rika went upstairs to their room, she got out her white short-sleeved blouse, black skirt and her underwear so it would be easy for her to change clothes after taking a bath. After doing so, she went inside the bathroom located near their marital bedroom.

Meanwhile, Henry immediately went to the bathroom near the living room so he could take a bath as well and get ready for work. He already got used to that habit during mornings.

_I really love mornings! _Henry thought as he went inside and started his bathing.

In the bathroom upstairs, Rika was finished taking a bath and from the bathroom, she returned to their room. She began to change into a white blouse that had short sleeves that extended four inches from her shoulders and a black skirt. She was still deciding whether her hair should be tied or not.

_Same dilemma as last week… Gawd! _Rika thought.

Eventually, she settled with tying the first half of her hair into a ponytail with a black rubber band while letting the other half down.

In the bathroom downstairs, Henry was finished taking a bath and started to put on his white long-sleeved buttoned shirt and his black slacks. Afterwards, he went upstairs to his and Rika's room. As he was walking, he noticed drops of water on the floor and concluded that Rika had just got out from their bathroom. When he finally reached his room, he opened the door to see Rika still combing her auburn hair.

"Hi, Honey! Finished?" Henry said.

"Yup!" Rika answered. "Do I look okay?"

"More than okay," Henry answered with a smile. "You look beautiful."

"Okay?" Rika only said as she went outside of their room. _Henry's always pulling my leg! If he wasn't so sweet and kind, I would have… Hmm. Never mind!_

The two made their way downstairs. After reaching the ground floor, the couple checked if there were plugged electric devices and found none. They left the living room and locked the door. They went outside the gate towards their car and hopped in. The car was moving at a normal pace while traversing the city of Shinjuku.

Not long after, the couple arrived at their building. Henry parked the car in the basement and saw an associate. Since they promised not to divulge the secret as of now, he bade Rika goodbye.

"Bye, Ri! I'll see you later!" Henry said.

"Okay!" Rika answered.

Rika went to the elevator and found few passengers aboard inside. She pressed "three" afterwards. Not long after, the elevator dropped her off and she walked towards her territory. As she arrived in her cubicle, she sat down and saw Aimi walking towards her.

"So, how did the honeymoon go?" Aimi asked with a grin. Unfortunately, her voice was loud and luckily, there were no other employees except for her and Rika.

"Be quiet!" Rika scolded her. "Someone might hear you!"

Aimi closed her mouth in embarrassment. She looked around to see if someone heard her. Luckily, there was no one in their territory at that time.

"Oops! Sorry about that!" she said sheepishly after taking off her hand from her mouth. "No really… How's your honeymoon?"

"It went fine. But I want to remind you that it's just my birthday, not a honeymoon!" Rika countered.

"That's only it! Did you get a thing on your birthday?" Aimi sneered. "You know!"

"No! We didn't get into home run on my birthday!" Rika snorted, knowing what Aimi probably meant. "We just went to an island in Japan, that's all!"

"Oh really?!" Aimi snickered.

"Really…" Rika answered.

"So, until when are you going to keep yourself tightly closed?" Aimi asked.

"I don't know if he's ready… For a CEO, I'm sure his mind's not yet focused on having kids, you know?" Rika answered. "Besides, Henry and I are just savoring our moments as a couple."

"That's sweet! I really envy you, Rika!" Aimi exclaimed. "How I wish I could get a boyfriend of my own… with an attitude just like your hubby!"

"Try online dating, Natsuke!" Rika suggested. "I tried them when I was in college!"

"I tried them but I guess I'm doomed to be single forever!" Aimi replied.

"Good luck with that!" Rika answered with optimism shown in her voice. "And besides, at his age of twenty-five, he's still trying to make more money and not yet trying to make kids with me!"

"You may not know it, Rika! But it's going to happen sooner or later!" Aimi winked.

"Oh, Aimi!" Rika groaned.

"Later, Rika!" Aimi squealed as she went towards her cubicle.

Later afterwards, Rika was finished with what she was typing when she received a phone call in her desk.

"Hello! Good morning! May I help you?" Rika greeted in her fake "interested" tone.

_"Is this Rika Wong?" _the caller asked in her chirpy voice.

Rika felt uneasy after hearing her name. She decided to be strong for the caller. At the tone of the caller, she knew that she would not like it.

"Yes. Who's this please?" she asked. _God! I just hope this isn't just an ordinary prank!_

_"Fumiko Satou… Henry's girlfriend…" _the caller identified herself.

Rika's eyes went even wide after hearing that. Henry made it clear to her last Friday that she was his only girl and no one else.

"Excuse me?!" Rika exclaimed, feeling that the sentence was outrageous.

_"I guess you don't know about me and Henry. I'm sorry if you found this out just now but I guess that it's about time you should know it…" _

"What the… Who the hell are you anyway?" Rika demanded crisply.

_"As far as I told you, I'm Henry's girlfriend. I called you today before you could be hurt so much. Henry never loved you. I'm the one he loves. He just reconciled with you so he could get revenge from your leaving him. He wants you to know what the feeling of being left for another man is."_

_Oh, this woman is really stitching stories, alright! _Rika thought. "Oh, is that it? Please go on with your story. I'm interested to hear it!" she said sarcastically.

_"So before he could say it in your face that he'd leave you for me, then go on. As a woman, I don't like his actions. But he's so forcing and I didn't stop him…"_

Instead of feeling hurt, Rika could only stifle a laugh at the background. "Oh really?"

_"I don't know until when he will do such things. But in reality, I'm annoyed with this set-up. I feel that I'm the one taking him even if he's really mine from the time you left him before. But one thing I'm sure is that he'll leave you for me."_

"I don't believe you."

_"I'm not forcing you to believe me. But if you want, you can find it out for yourself."_

_Bitch! _Rika thought. "Okay. Thanks for calling and have a nice day!" she said sardonically and hung up the phone.

When she hung the phone, Rika felt nervous. What if the caller said was true?

_Nah. I'll have to ask Henry first. I don't want to jump into conclusions for nothing! _Rika thought.

She looked at her watch. It was eleven fifty-two in the morning and Henry told her that he would have lunch with her today. This could be the perfect time to hear his side of the story rather than concluding without a reason.

"Gaad. I need him right now!" Rika said dully.

Rika went out of her cubicle and walked towards the outside of her territory. She found an empty elevator and transported her downwards. When she got down, she saw Henry who was standing there.

"Hey, Rika!" Henry said cheerfully.

"Hey, Henry! Right after lunch… we need to talk," Rika answered plainly.

"It looks serious, judging from your face…" Henry noticed Rika's poker face while she nodded.

"I'll have yakitori," Henry said. "What will you order, Rika?"

"Same as yours, Henry!" Rika said.

"Okay!" Henry smiled. "Two orders of yakitori."

"Okay, Sir!" the waitress said and went off.

Not long after, the food arrived and the couple began eating their lunch.

_Gad! I wish Henry can understand what I heard earlier! _Rika thought as she swallowed her food.

_Rika looked so worried when she said that we'd talk about something!_ Henry thought as he saw his wife who was serious with her eating.

The couple continued eating their lunch. When they finished, they laid the utensils to the side and drank water. Eventually, Henry requested for the bill so they could pay up.

"Okay, Sir!" the waitress said and walked off.

"So what is that thing that you want to talk about?" Henry asked.

"Well… I got a call from a woman named Fumiko Satou earlier…" Rika answered.

Henry was shocked to hear that. _That bitch! She probably called Rika to make her divorce me!_

Not long after, Henry heard a voice. "Sir…"

When he turned around, he saw the waitress with his bill. He paid the exact amount and the waitress left him.

"What did she say?" Henry asked as he returned to the flow of their conversation

"I know it sounds funny but you won't believe it!" Rika answered. "I remember them verbatim!"

Henry looked at Rika with interest. "Go on, Rika."

**FLASHBACK (RIKA'S POV):**

I was finished with what I was doing when my desk phone rang.

"Hello! Good morning! May I help you?" I greeted using the protocol in telephone conversations.

_"Is this Rika Wong?" _the caller asked me.

After I heard my name, I felt uneasy and something weird was going on.

"Yes. Who's this please?" I said. _God! I just hope this isn't just an ordinary prank!_

_"Fumiko Satou… Henry's girlfriend…"_

My eyes went even wide after hearing that. Henry made it clear to me last Friday that I was his only girl and no one else.

"Excuse me?!" I exclaimed, feeling that the sentence was outrageous.

_"I guess you don't know about me and Henry. I'm sorry if you found this out just now but I guess that it's about time you should know it…" _

"What the… Who the hell are you anyway?"

_"As far as I told you, I'm Henry's girlfriend. I called you today before you could be hurt so much. Henry never loved you. I'm the one he loves. He just reconciled with you so he could get revenge from your leaving him. He wants you to know what the feeling of being left for another man is."_

_Oh this woman is really stitching stories, alright! _I thought. "Oh, is that it? Please go on with your story. I'm interested to hear it!" I said sarcastically.

_"So before he could say it in your face that he'd leave you for me, then go on. As a woman, I don't like his actions. But he's so forcing and I didn't stop him…"_

Instead of feeling hurt, I could only laugh at the background. "Oh really?"

_"I don't know until when he will do such things. But in reality, I'm annoyed with this set-up. I feel that I'm the one taking him even if he's really mine from the time you left him before. But one thing I'm sure is that he'll leave you for me."_

"I don't believe you."

_"I'm not forcing you to believe me. But if you want, you can find it out for yourself."_

_Bitch! _I thought. "Okay. Thanks for calling and have a nice day!" I said sardonically and hung up the phone.

**END OF FLASHBACK**

"I could kill that woman for that!" Henry said while keeping his temper after hearing the conversation. "Seriously!"

"I know! And she's a great story inventor, you know?! I left you for a guy!" Rika replied dryly.

"I agree. Her story sounded more like a hoax rather than a narration!" Henry agreed. "But I'm glad you have a strong heart to believe in me."

"I believe you because from the start of her story, it's already obvious that she's lying so I already knew it," Rika answered.

"Okay," Henry said, trying to sound calm for Rika.

"Anyway, I have one question. Who's that Fumiko Satou anyway?" Rika could not help but ask. _What could be Fumiko's real connection with Henry?_

"Fumiko?" Henry replied. "Well… Fumiko Satou was a business partner of mine when I was still working in Shinjuku Printing Company as the president that time. I never paid attention to her because you were still in my heart at that time. But when she offered friendship, I only accepted to be HER FRIEND. Then, I told her what happened to us before I started working in the said company."

"Oh…" Rika muttered. "Then she took the friendship in a different meaning, I guess?"

"Yes… I thought she really was a friend. Months after she became my business partner and my friend, she started acting weird towards me and she had seduced me many times. One time, she even tried to kiss me but I was glad I got my guard up," Henry recalled. "If only she wasn't my business partner, I could have fired her for that."

"When you mentioned that I left you for no reason, she probably took it in mind as I left you for another man," Rika assumed. "Nice deduction!"

"Most likely," Henry answered. "And based from your conversation with her, I'm starting to be curious with how did she learn that we reconciled already!"

"Probably outside sources, Henry… Since she's your business partner, she got many connections regarding you," Rika concluded. "Remember, you're not just the owner of this company but also the CEO!"

"You're right!" Henry agreed and began holding Rika's two hands once again. "I promise, Rika, that I'll never leave you for her. The hoax she made up will never happen. She just can't accept the fact that I'm married to you."

Rika nodded. "Thank you, Henry…" she added. "Thank you."

"Don't worry, Rika. Everything will be fine. You'll see!" Henry said optimistically.

"I hope so, Henry," Rika answered. "I really do."

The couple walked hand-in-hand towards their building. They sometimes broke away from each other whenever they saw someone familiar to them.

"This must be the danger that I'm going to face!" Rika said to Henry.

"Don't worry. We'll get through this together!" Henry assured his wife. "You have me, Rika. I'll be right here with you."

Rika nodded as she and Henry went back to the office. When they arrived at the reception desk, Henry and Rika discreetly separated from each other as they saw the associates in the company who were chattering excitedly towards one another.

"Henry!" one associate greeted Henry.

Rika saw this as a signal to go to the third floor. She saw Aimi who was also on her way to the elevator.

"Hey, Aimi!" she said.

"Yeah?" Aimi asked.

"Let's go to the third floor," Rika said.

"Yeah sure! No problem, Rika!" Aimi assured.

The elevator opened in front of the two teammates and they went inside. The elevator traveled to the third floor.

"So, how's the date?" Aimi asked.

"Fine!" Rika chuckled.

"Good thing he's not a Casanova like any other CEO!" Aimi remarked.

"That's one thing I'm happy about." Rika grinned.

When the elevator opened up, Aimi slid her arm towards Rika and they went out. Soon after, they are making their way towards their respective cubicles.

"Don't forget me when you become my Ma'am, okay?" Aimi said.

"Who says I'll forget you?" Rika asked with a chuckle.

"I'm just telling you know!" Aimi smirked.

"Don't worry, Natsuke! Because I won't!" Rika winked.

When Rika arrived at her cubicle, she sat and started her computer on so she could continue what she was doing.

* * *

Later that night, Rika could not sleep. Moreover, she could not remove the phone call earlier from her mind even if Henry had consoled her so many times earlier. She felt that Henry was not yet finished with his work because she was still alone in their bedroom. She decided to go down and check if Henry was okay.

She made her steps downstairs and reached the living room. She saw Henry who was busy typing something in his laptop in the dining room and walked a few steps towards him.

"Henry, aren't you done yet?" Rika asked, placing her hands on her knees.

Henry looked up to see Rika standing beside him. "Rika, why aren't you sleeping yet?" he asked as well.

"I can't sleep, Henry…" Rika answered.

"Because you missed me?" Henry grinned.

"No! It's not that!" Rika answered seriously. "It's… the phone call…"

Henry's face wore a frown. _Rika never gets worried about anything… But when it's about me, she really shows her soft side…_

"From Fumiko Satou earlier…" Rika completed. "That's what bothers me."

Henry sighed, pulled Rika towards his side and laid his left arm on her left shoulder.

"Don't worry much, Rika. I'll never ever leave you for her. I'll be only and faithfully yours. I love you so much, Rika. Remember that, okay?" Henry assured. "I'll never let anything come between us once again. I lost you once and I won't let that happen."

Rika blushed because of Henry's words of assurance to her.

"Oh, Henry! You're really sweet! No wonder why I love you so much!" Rika said and kissed him in the left cheek.

"Glad to hear it, Rika!" Henry said with a smile. "Before I return to what I'm doing, can I have a kiss?"

"You don't have to ask permission, Henry!" Rika replied jokingly.

Henry then motioned to Rika's right cheek and kissed her before returning his eyes to what he was doing.

Rika then took a glass and a pitcher full of water from the refrigerator. She poured water on the glass and drank. She did the same to another glass and gave it to Henry.

"We might get extremely rich because of what you're doing, Henry! Don't overwork yourself!" Rika chided Henry playfully as she placed her arms around Henry's neck. "There are a lot more things to do in life than just work, you know?"

Henry only chuckled and drank the water inside the glass. When he placed the glass on the table, he removed Rika's arms from his neck and motioned Rika back to his side once again. Rika looked at him intently.

"I'm just doing this for our future children, Rika. I want to give them all the things they want to have…" Henry replied with a smile.

Rika giggled and pinched his left cheek. "You baka!" she replied. _He's really excited to have kids, isn't he? But anyway, he's already twenty-five and that explains why he's excited to have a family. _

"What?" Henry asked. "We'll never know when we're going to have kids, right? I'm just doing this in preparation for them!"

"You really want to have them?" Rika asked with a giggle.

"Of course! I don't want our genes to go to waste, you know? You're beautiful and I'm handsome so our baby will have equally our looks!" Henry replied with a grin. "Just wait here, Rika, and I'm about to finish this."

"Okay…" Rika said while she took a seat in front of Henry in the dining room.

When she sat down, she saw many stacks of papers with the plenty financial reports.

"This is what I always do when I'm at work. Financial statements, narrative report, balance of payments of the company…" Rika said as she leafed from one page to another. "I didn't know that being a CEO always had records of everything!"

"Really?" Henry said. "Then maybe we can really work out our partnership once you resign!"

"I think so!" Rika answered. "I just wish I can do it."

"You will, Rika." Henry smiled. "You will!"

Not long after, Henry finally finished with his work. Rika helped him by arranging all the papers in one file folder and wrapped up everything in the dining room.

"Oh well… I just hope my presentation works again tomorrow!" Henry mused.

"It will work, Henry. It will!" Rika answered.

The couple went upstairs with Henry leading the way because he was carrying so many things. When they entered their room, Henry placed it on one part of the room so he could see them before he could go to work tomorrow. He went to his bed but Rika was not inside yet.

"Rika's waiting for me but where's she?" Henry wondered.

Then inside came Rika. She actually went inside the bathroom and that explained her being late.

"Sorry, Henry…" Rika said and walked towards the bed.

"It's okay…" Henry assured.

When Rika went beside Henry, the latter placed his arm around her and he realized that Rika felt contented with him.

"Rika, please don't worry much. You're making me worry if you do that, you know?" Henry pacified her.

"I'm not worried! What makes you think I'm worried?" Rika replied.

"I thought you're still worried with the phone call…" Henry answered.

"No… I'm just thinking…" Rika replied.

"About what?" Henry asked.

"Thinking about how many children we're going to have!" Rika answered.

Henry chuckled. "Great!" he added. "What specified number?"

"I don't know! It's up to you, Henry!" Rika chuckled while Henry laughed with her comment.


	19. Verified Secret

**Author's Note:**This is Chapter 19. Please read, review & suggest. Thanks! :D

* * *

**Chapter 19: Verified Secret**

A month passed since the phone call incident. Everything seemed to be back to normal and Rika was lucky that two of her officemates did not divulge anything to the entire territory for now.

It was a Wednesday morning when Rika was talking to Miss Matsumoto in the conference room. She gave her official resignation letter that would take place after this week.

"For the last time, Rika… Are you really sure about this?" she asked and looked at Rika after reading the letter.

Rika nodded. "You remember that the last time I gave you my resignation letter was just fake. It was only to blackmail Henry that time. But now, this is for real and I promised him."

"Alright… If that's what you want. I'll inform Ma'am Mitsui immediately so she can hire you a replacement," Miss Matsumoto replied.

Rika could see that Miss Matsumoto smiled a bit. She felt that her supervisor was happy with her final and legal resignation. During the past few weeks, Miss Matsumoto was confused if she would treat Rika as a member of her staff or as the boss's wife.

"What's with the smile?" Rika asked, curiously.

"I'm happy for you because you're no longer working to make your ends meet," Miss Matsumoto explained.

Rika nodded and returned to her thinking. She realized that Miss Matsumoto often gave tasks to Aimi and Sakura only, causing her to feel useless already. She somehow missed doing the heavy work like she used to.

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you become Sir Henry's wife?" Miss Matsumoto asked, driving Rika away from her thoughts.

_Because we got married? _Rika answered in her mind.

"It's a long story, Miss Matsumoto…" Rika answered simply.

Miss Matsumoto looked at her intently in the eye. She sat down on the table slightly.

"We're not busy anyway. We have all the time that we need," Miss Matsumoto coaxed her.

Rika only smiled and did not speak. Miss Matsumoto took this as a sign that Rika did not want to reveal anything so she stood up.

"Okay, Miss Wong… I guess we're dismissed!" Miss Matsumoto said until she realized her mistake. "Oh! I'm sorry. It should be MRS. WONG."

Rika raised an eyebrow as Miss Matsumoto closed the door. _You're really awesome, Takara! You still have the nerve to be sarcastic in front of me!_

She dusted herself and walked outside. She closed the door afterwards.

_Anyway, she knows that I won't make a big deal out of this. It's not my style now that I'm still keeping my secret here._

After that, she made her way towards her cubicle.

That same day, Sakura went to see Rika on her desk. Rika was already finished with a call.

"Hey, Sakura! What's up?" Rika asked.

"Oh, just saying hi! I just want to say that you're the best teammate ever! The division head was impressed with everything!" Sakura chuckled.

Rika chuckled as well. "Really?" she asked.

"Of course I mean it! It'll be hard for us if you resign!" Sakura answered.

Meanwhile, a woman about twenty-five was inside Tokyo Corporation. She was of medium height and had black hair that extended to her shoulders, fair complexion. Her face had black eyes, small nose and pale lips. She was wearing a black dress and black heels. She gave her name as Fumiko Satou and she went in the company to apply for a merger between hers and Tokyo Corporation. She was still stuck at the receptionist of the fourth floor.

_I so love this… I think this'll be my plan to make Henry mine! _she thought.

"This application will take two weeks, Ma'am. Will it be alright with you?" the receptionist asked Fumiko.

"It's fine," Fumiko said.

Afterwards, Fumiko left the receptionist and went to the elevator. When she got inside, she saw a man and a woman, talking.

"You ask Rika about this! Not me!" the woman said.

"I'm embarrassed to ask her this. Please, Mimi!" the man answered.

"Just go to her station instead of bugging me, you know?!" the woman pointed out.

_What does she mean? _Fumiko thought and was apparently surprised with what she heard. _Rika's still here? I thought she left Henry already! _

The elevator opened and the couple went out. It was about to close when Fumiko stopped it. She was curious because of what she heard.

_I'd better investigate! _she thought._ I might be hearing things!_

Because of that, Fumiko followed the woman to the room and there she saw Rika from afar. She recognized Rika because she saw a picture of Rika and Henry before when she and Henry were still business partners. Her blood boiled because she saw Rika still working there.

She moved further and found Rika talking to another woman. Without hesitation, she went inside the conversation.

"So, you're still here?" she asked crossly.

Meanwhile, Rika and Sakura turned to the source of the voice. Even Aimi also turned her head.

"Who's she?" Aimi asked.

Rika recognized the woman as Fumiko Satou. She saw the latter's picture when she found Henry's photo album that contained his pictures with his company. She felt nervous after seeing Fumiko here.

Fumiko moved closer to Rika in a threatening manner.

"You're face is thick! How dare you continue working here?! After you left Henry, you're still here?!" Fumiko asked loudly.

Rika smiled dryly. _How dare I?_

"Don't make a scene," Rika said coolly.

Rika noticed that there were people from the other team coming as well.

"You're not good for him! You flirt! You left Henry for another man!" Fumiko yelled.

Rika could not move. Her whole body was numb and the people from the entire territory were looking at her. She wanted to explain but she could not speak.

_She's still lying! _Rika thought. _What am I gonna do to prove my innocence? _

Her hands were nervous. She badly wanted to slap Fumiko in the face. She also saw Aimi who pulled Fumiko's hair.

"You witch!" Aimi yelled. "You're the one whose face is thick!"

A woman went to stop Aimi. But before the former could walk nearer, Fumiko already pushed Aimi and the latter fell straight on the floor.

"Ah!" Aimi said as she felt her right leg.

Eventually, Fumiko went nearer to Rika and pulled her hair using her left hand. Rika could not fight back because Fumiko was holding her hair very tightly. Rika felt that her hair would be removed from her scalp because of the pain. Eventually, Rika's ponytail was ruined and there were others to stop her but she did not remove her grip in Rika's hair.

"You deserve this, bitch!" Fumiko yelled at Rika.

Fumiko raised her right hand so Rika's head was bowing down. Now, the former's two hands were used in pulling Rika's hair tightly.

"Ah!" Rika cringed. _It really hurts! _

Not far away, Miss Matsumoto finally saw what was going on. She became worried with what was happening to Rika now.

_I'd better call Sir Henry! _she thought. _I knew this woman was trouble!_

With this, Miss Matsumoto grabbed the phone and called Henry's office.

Meanwhile, Henry was reading an article when the intercom sounded in his office.

"Sir Henry, Miss Takara Matsumoto is on the line two. It's important, according to her," Mika said.

Henry frowned. _What could possibly be important behind her call?_

"Alright. I'll take the call, Mika!" Henry replied.

Henry lifted the receiver while reading the article and answering the current call.

"Yes, Miss Matsumoto?" Henry asked.

"Sir Henry!" Miss Matsumoto's voice was frantic. Because of that, Henry stood a bit.

"Why? What's happening?" Henry asked when he laid down what he was reading while listening to Miss Matsumoto. Based from her voice, it looked like there was an emergency.

Eventually, Henry became nervous after thinking of the possibilities behind the urgent call. _Did something happen to my wife? _he thought.

"It's… it's Rika! She's being harassed by Miss Fumiko!" Miss Matsumoto answered frantically.

Henry felt his blood boiling in anger after hearing that. "I'll be there!" he said furiously.

Henry immediately dropped the call and went outside his office, rushing.

"Mika, call security and tell them to go to the third floor!" Henry instructed before leaving completely.

"Yes, Sir!" Mika obeyed instantly and dialed the phone.

Henry ran towards the nearest elevator. When he found it empty, he got inside and pressed "three". He placed his hands on his face while the elevator went downwards.

_What the hell did Fumiko do this time? _Henry thought while trying to keep his temper. _I haven't confronted her from her phone call with Rika and now she's adding her faults as well!_

Not long after, the elevator opened at the third floor. When Henry got outside, he saw that there was a commotion going on and there were many employees outside Rika's territory.

"Everybody go back to your rooms!" Henry instructed loudly.

The employees obeyed and they went slowly back to their rooms. When Henry got inside, he saw Fumiko holding Rika's hair while standing and there were people pulling Fumiko so that she could remove her grip from Rika but they could not stop it. His anger went up once again and went straight to Fumiko's side.

"Get your hands off my wife!" Henry commanded furiously and held Fumiko's two arms. His grip with them was supposed to make her arms let go.

He felt triumphant when Fumiko finally let go from Rika. When he finally raised her, he eventually threw her to one side. Afterwards, he went straight to Rika who was slightly crying with her ponytail now lying down and hugged her while he wiped her tears.

"Hey Baby, are you okay?" he asked.

Rika nodded but did not stop from crying. Henry was trying to fix her hair because of what Fumiko did. Surely, it was painful for Rika.

"What's wrong with you?" Henry hissed at Fumiko and glared at her.

"Henry… Henry, I… I…" Fumiko stammered.

Henry could see the fear in Fumiko's eyes because of the intense anger that she saw in him.

"She left you, right?" Fumiko said softly.

Eventually, the guards arrived and held Fumiko. She struggled and began to speak up.

"What does she have that I don't have, Henry? Why are you always thinking about her?" Fumiko asked, apparently crazed, and forcibly attempted to remove her hands from the guards' grip.

The entire territory of the financing division was filled with tension and anxiety as Henry confronted Fumiko.

"I from the start already loved you. Even we're just business partners at that time, I already loved you. But that woman? She could not even return your feelings and left you for another man! You were always saying her name and wishing that Rika was also thinking of me and hoping that she'd remember me when we meet again. Rika this and Rika that! Do you know how painful it is?" Fumiko said desperately and pulled her arms from the security. This time she escaped from their clutches.

Fumiko stepped towards Henry and Rika while looking at them in desperation.

"It's so painful! I'm the one who's right beside you and you won't give me your attention…" Fumiko said while pointing herself with her index finger.

Eventually, she let out a tear and continued her litany.

"When she left you almost two years ago, who was right there beside you? It's me, right? But what did I get? You still made up with that woman!" Fumiko exclaimed. "What am I supposed to do, Henry? What's the thing she has that I don't have?!"

Henry let go of Rika for a moment and went towards Fumiko.

"From the start, Fumiko, I made it clear that I'd only offer friendship to you. But what did you do? You're still forcing yourself to me!" Henry pointed out. "You're asking me what does she have that you don't have? MY HEART is with her. And it will never be yours!"

Fumiko became still after realizing that Henry was totally mad at her.

"And mind you, Fumiko, LIARS like YOU don't have a place in my heart," Henry said, trying to calm himself. "Take her away, men!"

Henry was about to face Rika when he remembered something.

"Wait," he said as he faced Fumiko once again. "I won't forgive you for what you did to me and to Rika. Don't you ever show up to us or go near Rika. I'm warning you, Fumiko. You'll never like me when I'm truly angry!"

Fumiko was taken away by the guards and they got out of the territory. Henry eventually approached Rika once again.

"Don't cry, Babe. Please…" Henry pacified her and kissed her head.

Rika eventually stopped crying but her sobs did not cease.

"Just don't think of her, okay? Henry said. "I'm sure she won't go near you or do anything to you now."

Rika hugged him and he gave her a much tighter embrace.

_True… My heart belongs to her. I'll never give it to others… _Henry thought while holding Rika.

Rika eventually stopped crying even if Fumiko held her hair very tightly. She felt relieved because Henry was hugging her.

_I was touched with what Fumiko said… But I pity her… _Rika thought. _So that's why she's been acting like that… because she was in love with Henry for so long… _

She tilted her head up to see Henry, who was obviously worried. She smiled so that Henry could be relieved as well and he smiled back at her.

"You want to go home?" Henry asked Rika.

Rika nodded. _I really don't want to stay here after what happened earlier…_

"Alright. We'll go home," he said while he took Rika's things.

Aimi was not surprised with the fact that Henry and Rika were married, but she was greatly shocked with what she just learned about Henry. Sakura was totally disbelieved while Miss Matsumoto only wore a poker face.

Henry saw Miss Matsumoto and spoke up. "Miss Takara, I'm sorry I forgot to tell you… Rika will be taking a half-day leave."

Then the two continued walking until they reached the elevator. The elevator opened and the couple went inside. Henry pressed "five" afterwards.

"Let's get my stuff, Rika," he said and kissed Rika's hair.

Rika nodded and dried her eyes using her blue handkerchief. Not long after, the elevator stopped at the fifth floor. The couple went out immediately.

"Henry, I'm going to the ladies' room," Rika said. "I need to straighten up my hair."

"Okay," Henry answered. "I'll wait for you outside."

Rika went to the ladies' room so she could comb her hair. When she got inside, she took the comb from her black bag and took off her ponytail so she could fix her hair. Rika combed her hair with utmost care because the pain in her head still remained.

_I never knew she was totally desperate for Henry's attention, _Rika thought while combing her hair.

Not long after, Rika managed to restore her hair in its original ponytail. She wiped the tears from her eyes and washed her face. Feeling that everything was sufficed already, she dried her face with her handkerchief. Rika went out of the ladies' room and found Henry standing near it.

"You done?" Henry asked her.

"Yes," Rika answered.

When they walked in the office, Rika saw Mika who was wondering because Henry was with her.

"Mika, please cancel all my appointments this afternoon," Henry instructed. "I'll be half-day today."

"Yes, Sir!" Mika replied obediently.

Henry went inside the room with Rika. Rika only went with Henry because she did not want to see the ladies in the room glaring at her as if she was a criminal.

"Do these bitches here in your floor know about us?" Rika asked casually as she saw her wedding photo with Henry inside the frame.

"Not yet," Henry answered with a chuckle. "But of course, people in your floor already know about us… thanks to Fumiko. Probably the news will spread like fire."

"Yeah. We're even talking about how we are going to announce our secret without making a scene last time!" Rika pointed out.

Henry shrugged. Things definitely did not go according to they had planned.

"Where do you want to eat?" Henry asked.

"The Japanese Plate in Shinjuku Mall," Rika answered.

After Rika said that, Henry suddenly remembered something that he would get in the mall.

"Okay!" Henry agreed.

"Sorry if I chose that one. I used to eat there when I was still living with Jeri!" Rika answered.

"It's okay!" Henry assured. "In fact, I've got to get something there as well."

Rika smiled. Now that Henry finished his business, they went outside his room. Fortunately, it was already close to lunchtime and the employees inside Henry's territory were already few.

"Let's go!" Henry said while he placed his arm around Rika's shoulder.

The couple walked towards the elevator and went inside it. Henry pressed "B" for basement since their car was parked there. Before they could get inside the car, Henry looked at Rika for one last time.

"Are you okay now?" Henry asked.

"Yeah… I'm fine," Rika said, trying to forget what happened earlier.

Henry nodded and they went inside the car. He started it and they were already journeying through the city of Shinjuku.

"Henry?" Rika asked.

"Yes?" Henry replied.

"Thanks for… defending for me…" Rika managed to say.

"You're welcome," Henry assured.

"Do you think I lost my icy wall when Fumiko attacked me?" Rika asked. "For me, I felt I did…"

Henry let out a sigh. "No, you didn't…" he said. "You only remained silent because you didn't want anything to complicate further and you were strong enough to do that. People with weak walls tend to be overreactive and dominating towards another person, just like what Fumiko did…"

"Okay…" Rika said in reply.

"Don't worry much, okay?" Henry asked, assuring that it would be fine for them.

Rika nodded. Not long after, she felt that sleep was overtaking her and her eyes were getting droopy. Tired from what happened in their office, she decided to sleep. Henry saw this and decided to let her sleep, even if it was just for a few minutes.

After driving towards Shinjuku Mall, Henry eventually arrived there and drove to the parking lot. Rika opened her eyes when the car pulled to a stop in the parking lot.

"We're now here, Rika," Henry said.

Rika fixed herself and dusted her blouse. Henry removed his seatbelt and parked the car. Now fully parked, the couple went outside simultaneously.

"Let's go, Honey…" Henry said as Rika placed her bag on her right shoulder.

Rika followed Henry until he grasped for her right hand and held it. After minutes of brisk walking, they eventually arrived at the restaurant that Rika was talking about. When they got inside, both adults stood there with wide eyes. There was no vacant table left!

"Rika!" a high-pitched feminine voice called Rika.

Rika recognized the voice as Jeri's. She turned her head everywhere until she saw Jeri waving her hand not from afar. It looked like she also just arrived and there was a vacant seat in her table and she was signaling them to share with her by bending her left hand.

With this, Rika tugged Henry's hand so he could go with her towards Jeri's table. While walking, they saw Takato who sat on the table. When they arrived, Henry and Takato shared a high-five while Rika and Jeri hugged each other.

"Hey! Is there a problem?" Jeri asked as she noticed Rika's eyes. "Why did you cry?"

Rika knew that Jeri could figure out if she cried or not even if her eyes were not really puffy.

"It's nothing," Rika said simply. "I just had something in my eye. Don't worry about it."

Henry sat beside Takato while Rika sat beside Jeri. A waitress came to them and gave them menus so she could note their orders.

"What do you want, guys?" Jeri asked.

"Japanese pork…" Takato said.

"I'll have yakitori…" Henry said.

"I'll get yakiniku…" Rika said.

"Okay! I'll settle for tempura!" Jeri said. "Japanese pork, yakiniku, yakitori and tempura, one order for each item…"

"Okay," the waitress said. "Anything you wish to add, Ma'am?"

"Water, please! Thank you!" Jeri said.

When the waitress left, Jeri started the conversation since she wanted to know how her friends were feeling.

"So, how's it going?" Jeri asked.

"Fine…" Rika said, not wanting to mention what happened earlier. "How about you?"

"It's good and I'm always getting everywhere because of being a field advertiser," Jeri replied.

"Good for you! But my job's still better than yours is!" Rika smirked.

"Because you've got a CEO for a husband, is that it?" Jeri teased.

Rika only laughed and followed it with an amused shrug.

"How about you, Takato?" Henry asked.

"It's fine, man! Still the same old working style but always getting overtime… Because of that, I hardly see Jeri every day," Takato said.

_The hopeless romantic strikes again! _Rika thought in amusement.

"How about you, Henry?" Takato returned.

"Well… Someone filed an application for a merger with our company but I'm not interested in her offer," Henry said. "… So I'm going to let it hanging and disapprove it."

"That's mean!" Takato remarked.

"Mean as you call it but you have to choose alliances wisely. Who knows what can be their true intentions are!" Henry said, remembering that Fumiko applied for a merger since his associate in the fourth floor told him about it.

"That's serious!" Takato said.

"I know," Henry agreed.

Not long after, their lunch arrived and was served on the table. The four said grace and began digging in. Because all of them were really hungry at that moment, they did not utter a single word.

When they finished, Henry offered to pay the bill in order to return the favor of having a table to sit during lunch.

"Okay!" Jeri said as she closed her purse for a moment. "Can we have the bill?"

The waitress immediately ran to get the bill. When she returned, Henry paid up and the four of them left the restaurant.

"So where are you lovebirds going to?" Jeri asked Rika when they got outside the restaurant.

"I don't know," Rika replied. "Maybe shopping?"

"Oooh!" Jeri said. "Anyway, we gotta go. I'm going to the grocery since Mom told me."

Afterwards, Jeri hugged Rika and Rika followed suit.

"Bye, Jeri! Just send me a text, okay? Take care!" Rika said.

"You too!" Jeri said cheerfully as she broke away from Rika's grasp.

"Anyway, man, it's good to see you again!" Takato said and shook Henry's hand. "Bye!"

"Likewise and same to you! Take care!" Henry said pleasantly and shook Takato's hand.

When the couple walked away, Rika looked at Henry.

"Who filed that merger thing you were talking about earlier?" Rika asked him.

Henry took a deep breath. "It was Fumiko. Actually, I should be the one entertaining it but I entrusted it to a friend in the fourth floor and he told me that the he'd make the application take two weeks but actually, I wanted to keep it hanging until I disapproved it. I don't want to have things connected to her especially after what had happened earlier."

Rika nodded. "So, what were you supposed to get here in the mall?"

"Oh, right!" Henry said. "Do you mind if we walk a bit?"

"Yeah sure!" Rika said.

The couple made their way southward from the restaurant. After minutes of walking, Henry found the jewelry shop.

"I'm going to get something here," Henry said to Rika.

"Alright!" Rika said and waited at the hallway.

Henry went inside the jewelry shop to claim the ring he was supposed to give Rika so they could get engaged for real. When he went to the shop, he saw the woman whom he gave his order weeks ago.

"Hello, Sir!" the saleslady greeted.

"Hello! I'd like to claim my order of the diamond engagement ring," Henry answered.

"The one with the engraving, Sir?" the saleslady asked.

"Yes," Henry said.

When the black box was given to him, Henry checked to see if the ring had the engraving.

_"I love you ~ Henry"_

"Okay," Henry said.

"Alright, Sir!" the saleslady said and handed him the receipt.

"Thank you!" Henry said good-naturedly and placed the black box in his pocket.

When he walked outside, he immediately went to Rika and motioned to walk already.

"What did you get there?" Rika asked.

"Uh… Something for my mom," Henry lied. "Let's walk around and see some interesting stuff here!"

"Okay!" Rika said as she and Henry meandered around the mall.


	20. Proposal

**Author's Note: **I know I made the characters "out of their character" during the last time but the chapter really called for it. If you want to know why there was OOC, just PM me and I'll explain them to you. But then again, I'm really sorry for that.

I don't own Digimon. Only the plot and the storyline. This is Chapter 20. Feel free to read, review and suggest. Thanks a lot! :D

* * *

**Chapter 20: Proposal**

The next day, Rika was inside the ladies' room so she could fix herself. When she was inside, she saw herself in the mirror while wearing her yellow long-sleeved blouse and black skirt and her auburn hair was tied in her usual ponytail. When she finished, she combed her ponytail in order for it to straighten out.

However, just as she was about to go out of the ladies' room, her phone rang inside her bag. Rika fumbled for her phone inside her black shoulder bag and found it. She could see in the screen that Henry was calling.

"Hello?" she responded.

_"Hi, Babe. Sorry to call you for this but I forgot to tell you that I'll have lunch with you later. Is that okay?"_

"Of course it is! Anyway, I really have to go. I'm getting late and my supervisor's gonna give me the fits!" Rika answered with an evident rush in her voice. "It's already 9:10 AM you know!"

_"She won't because you're the boss already!" _Henry chuckled from the other line.

"Don't remind me of that, Henry!"

Henry only laughed from the other line.

"Anyway, I have to go. See you later, Henry!" Rika said to formally end the call.

_"I love you,"_ Henry said.

"I love you too. Bye!" Rika said and threw a kiss on the phone. "Mwah!"

_"I got it. Bye, Babe!"_ Henry said with a laugh.

When the call ended, Rika replaced the phone back to her bag and started going out of the ladies' room and walked in the lobby.

_Oh well! I'd better accept the fact that I'm late, _Rika thought.

When she entered her territory, she suddenly felt weird because she saw the employees smiling at her unlike before that they used to raise an eyebrow towards her.

_What's happening to them? _she thought as she saw put on a fake smile to her fellow workers.

"Good morning, Ma'am!" the employees greeted.

_So that's why they're acting like that! _Rika thought. _The truth about me got into their systems already!_

"Good morning, Ma'am!" another female employee greeted her.

Rika shuddered because she was being called by her fellow employees while she was walking towards her cubicle.

_Duh! I'm still an employee! Let's just say I'm the wife of the Boss, _Rika thought. _But I'm really not comfortable with this. I prefer that I'm invisible towards them… _

"Good morning, Ma'am Rika!" the receptionist greeted with a smile.

_Well, not really invisible. I really prefer the way they only just ignore me…_

Rika smiled at the receptionist and continued walking towards her cubicle. While walking, she saw Masato.

"Hi Masato!" Rika greeted in a fake cheery tone when she met him.

"Good morning, Ma'am Rika!" Masato greeted with a goofy grin.

Masato's smile seemed weird to Rika. For her, the former Masato, who used to ask her out and bug her several times, was totally gone and she was thankful for that.

_Well, that's a good thing though! _Rika thought. _What he's always doing before isn't really good anyway._

When Rika arrived at her cubicle, she fixed her stuff first on her desk. When she glanced at her wristwatch, it was already 9:15 AM. She was totally late today.

_I'm fifteen minutes late. Awesome! _Rika thought.

Rika saw Miss Matsumoto who just happened to pass by her cubicle and she stopped fixing her things so she could apologize to her supervisor. She knew that the latter was used to her being late but for her, it was already different and she thought that another issue might come out because of her.

"Miss Matsumoto, sorry if I'm late," Rika said coyly.

"No. It's alright, Rika," Miss Matsumoto said and smiled. "Anyway, Rika, your replacement will come this afternoon. You just have to train her."

"Okay…" Rika shrugged and continued fixing her things on her desk.

When Miss Matsumoto began walking away, Aimi took her turn in visiting Rika's cubicle.

"Rikaaaaa!" Aimi said and hugged her as she arrived at Rika's cubicle.

Rika was surprised when Aimi hugged her since she definitely did not know what was going on.

"Aimi? What's wrong? Is it the end of the world?" Rika asked consequently.

"No… Nothing's wrong, Rika!" Aimi explained as she broke for a bit. "You're going to resign! I'll lose a very quiet and nice teammate!"

"You're an idiot, Aimi!" Rika chuckled. "I may resign as your teammate but I'll be here in the company as your… boss."

"That's the point! I'll lose a very industrious teammate!" Aimi explained. "I'm gonna miss you!"

"Enough with the drama, Aimi!" Rika said while narrowing her eyes jokingly. "But yeah, I'm gonna miss you too because I won't hear your jokes anymore."

Aimi only laughed and still she stalled in front of Rika's desk.

"Anyway, thank you for keeping my secret, Aimi," Rika said with a smile in appreciation.

"Don't worry, Rika! I mean, Ma'am Rika!" Aimi snickered as she bent her two hands in amusement. "I can be your vault! Secret vault, that is!"

Rika shook her head playfully as she sat up straightly on her swivel chair. "But you have to promise me that you'll be friends with my replacement, okay?" she said.

"Of course! I'm friendly enough to make enemies, you know?!" Aimi winked.

"Okay! If you say so!" Rika chuckled.

Meanwhile inside his office, Henry removed something from his bag. When he got it out, he saw that a black ring box was already on his palm. He smiled at the thought of proposing to Rika.

_I can't let you go now, Rika. It's about time that we settle down as a legal and true husband and wife! _Henry thought as he opened the box and found the diamond ring inside it.

He then turned his gaze to his wedding picture with Rika. He saw in the picture that he wore a simple black suit while Rika wore a white long-sleeved dress that extended to her knees and both were standing in the picture with fake smiles. Their smiles were fake because this was just a set-up for their parents. But now, he wanted to have a wedding picture that would have their genuine smile because of their love for each other.

_Just you wait. You'll meet your owner soon! _Henry thought with a smile after his gaze returned to the black box that contained the ring and he closed it.

* * *

That afternoon, Rika went outside her territory and waited for an elevator. When it opened, she found that it was empty and pressed "five". She was going to Henry's office since the latter said in the phone that he would have lunch with her once again today.

_This is definitely worse than being called the model's daughter! _Rika thought.

When the elevator opened at the fifth floor, Rika immediately went outside and walked towards Henry's territory. She saw Mika once again and smiled at her.

"Hey, Mika! Is Henry there?" Rika said while pointing her index finger towards the door.

"Yes, Ma'am! You can come in there!" Mika replied with a smile.

_Ma'am… _Rika thought. _I really need to get used to being called Ma'am…_

Rika knocked on the door as a signal that she would enter the room and opened it a bit. She took a peek and saw Henry whose back was facing the door and he was facing the window while talking to someone in his phone. He glanced at the person who opened the door but he smiled when he saw Rika and signaled her to come inside.

When Rika came inside, she walked and sat down on the visitor's chair in front of Henry's desk while waiting for him to finish the call.

"… Yes, sure. Thank you, Mr. Akane, and have a good day!" Rika heard Henry say while he was walking towards Rika. Eventually she stood up to meet him.

Henry placed his phone on the table and approached Rika who was already standing. He smiled and Rika gave him a quick but sweet kiss on the lips while cupping his face with him kissing her quickly as well. When they broke away from each other, Henry sat on his desk and Rika sat on the visitor's chair.

"How's your day?" Henry asked while holding her chin with his two right fingers.

"Hmmm. Irritating?" Rika answered simply as her palm was just under chin.

Henry wore a frown because of Rika's answer. His grey eyes seemed to ask her but he was only quiet.

"They were all calling me Ma'am! It's so irritating!" Rika explained with a sulky voice and her face was tainted with annoyance. "I feel that I don't have a place at the third floor!"

Henry laughed heartily and loudly while Rika became even more annoyed.

"What's so funny with what I said?" Rika asked dryly and tried her best to glare at Henry.

Henry stopped laughing but it was obvious that he was stifling it.

"You're really one in a million, Rika," Henry said good-naturedly. "If this happened to other people, they would be glad to be called _Ma'am_!"

"Well I'm not them, you know?!" Rika pouted and crossed her arms.

"Come on, Rika! You're just hungry!" Henry coaxed her. "Were you having PMS again?"

"No!" Rika replied with annoyance and shook her arms in front of Henry. "I'm just really annoyed!"

"You getting mad like this really turns me on." Henry grinned.

Rika's annoyed face suddenly wore a blush in embarrassment. Henry only laughed with her reaction once again while Rika still had the poker face with what Henry just said.

"Come on, Rika. If you're not hungry, then I am hungry!" Henry said good-naturedly so that Rika could follow him.

Rika suddenly remembered something when Henry was about to pull her hand away.

"Wait… W-What about… Fumiko? What happened to her?" Rika could not help but ask. She was still afraid that Fumiko would come back and disturb them once again.

Henry stopped and faced Rika once again. He cupped her face and looked at her violet eyes affectionately.

"Don't think about her, okay?" Henry said with optimism showing in his grey eyes. "Her parents apologized for what she did and for now, they sent her to America… for good, I think."

Rika finally became relieved because of what Henry said and smiled at him.

"Now let's go!" Henry said and his left hand held her hand.

The couple went outside the room and found employees who were still there. Henry decided to play serious in front of his wife.

"If someone here tries to disrespect my wife, better pack up your things and have me sign your resignation papers, alright?" Henry declared while trying to be stern in front of his employees and his wife. "She is also your new boss, by the way."

"YES, SIR!" the employees answered in a whole and solid voice.

"Good to hear it. I don't want anyone playing good in front of us while stabbing us in the back!" Henry answered seriously.

Seconds later, Henry and Rika were walking towards an elevator and got inside it since it was also empty. Rika pressed "G" for ground floor. While the elevator was moving downward, Rika could not help but chuckle after what Henry said in the office earlier.

"Why?" Henry asked her.

"You look convincing back there!" Rika commented after stopping her laugh.

"How good was I?" Henry smirked.

"Far from good! I think excellent's the best word!" Rika answered with a smile. "Anyway, the thing you said was the very same thing I told Aimi when she asked the reason why I didn't want to divulge this mess in the first place."

"So, I guess we share the same thoughts!" Henry mused while Rika only giggled.

When the elevator reached the ground floor, they went outside of it. The couple walked a few steps from the elevator and they saw a tall and slightly built man with black hair who was standing in front of the receptionist. Henry recognized that it was Junichi Akara, the one they saw in the banquet previously. They heaved sighs of relief since Junichi already knew about the two of them.

"Hi, Henry! Hi, Rika!" he greeted the couple with a smile.

"Hi, Junichi!" Henry returned while Rika only smiled dryly at Junichi. "What brings you here?"

"I'm going to see my aunt," Junichi answered. "I don't know where she's located though."

"Who's your aunt anyway?" Rika asked plainly.

"Mrs. Atsuko Nakara," Junichi replied. "Are you familiar with her?"

Rika looked at Henry to ask permission. Henry nodded so she could explain everything.

"Yeah, I am," Rika answered with a fake smile. "She's the head of the financing division. You can see her at third floor."

"Really?!" Junichi said in appreciation. "Gee thanks, Rika!"

Henry and Rika nodded as Junichi turned his attention once again to the receptionist.

"Well, I guess we have to go, Junichi!" Henry bid Junichi goodbye. "We're going to have lunch."

"Oh! Okay!" Junichi grinned. "Have a nice day, you two!"

The couple started walking towards the main door so they could go outside of the building. When they fully got outside of the building, they walked around the busy street near their building and found a pizza parlor just across their street.

"Do you want to eat pizza?" Henry asked.

"Yeah, sure!" Rika answered. "Since we only ate pizza on your twenty-fifth birthday."

"Then let's go!" Henry grinned. "It's about time we settle for something informal today."

The two adults crossed the street and they reached the pizza parlor. They entered through the door and when they got inside, a mixture of herbs wandered in the air.

"Man! I'm hungry!" Henry said.

"So am I!" Rika agreed.

When they looked at different directions to find a table, they found a vacant table just for the two of them.

"Let's go there," Rika said.

"Okay!" Henry said.

The two made their way towards the empty table while secretly clutching their stomachs. When they got seated already, the waitress handed them their menus. After looking at them, Henry looked at Rika.

"What do you want?" Henry asked her.

"Pepperoni… if it's fine with you," Rika answered.

"It's okay," Henry said and turned his attention to the waitress. "We'll have eight slices of pepperoni pizza. Thank you!"

The waitress nodded and went away.

Not long after, their pepperoni pizza arrived and the couple said grace before digging in. They began eating already.

"So, aside from being called as Ma'am, what else happened in your floor today?" Henry asked after he swallowed a slice.

"Well… Miss Matsumoto informed me that my replacement would arrive today and I'd be the one to train her since she's the one who'd apply for my current position," Rika answered.

"Well, that's good!" Henry answered. "At least when you leave, she knows what to do!"

The couple continued eating their lunch. When they finished, they laid the utensils to the side and drank water. Eventually, Henry requested for the bill so they could pay up. While waiting, Rika's phone rang and she could see that the caller was her mother.

"Hello, Mom!" Rika answered with her phone on her ear already.

_"Sweetie! How are you?!" _Mrs. Nonaka said from the other line.

"I'm fine!" Rika said. "Henry and I just had lunch."

_"That's good! Am I going to see my grandchild in a few months?" _Mrs. Nonaka snickered from the other line.

"No!" Rika extremely denied with a ridiculed face. "We're not yet making one, Mom!"

Henry only laughed with Rika's expression. As he was watching his wife conversing with his mother-in-law, he heard a voice. "Sir…"

When he turned around, he saw the waitress with his bill. He paid the exact amount and the waitress left him. At the same moment, Henry saw Rika who finished the phone call.

"You done?" Henry asked.

"Yeah! Let's go!" Rika agreed.

They were already making their way towards the door. When they got outside, Henry's arm was still around Rika's shoulder.

"Good luck in training your replacement!" Henry said good-naturedly. "You can do it, Rika."

"Thanks, Henry, for inspiring me!" Rika replied with a smile.

"You inspire me more, my beautiful wife." Henry smiled as well.

The couple continued walking towards their building. When they got inside the building, they separated because there were many employees even in the front desk.

"I'll see you later, Rika, and you owe me a kiss!" Henry chuckled.

"Okay fine! You'll have it later!" Rika countered. "Bye!"

When Rika arrived that afternoon in her cubicle, she saw that her replacement was already there. She had long black hair, black eyes and fair complexion while wearing a white blouse with onyx-colored skirt and black flat shoes. She introduced herself as Noriko Kagachi.

_She looks… fine, kind, obedient and easy to teach… just like Jeri… _Rika thought.

"Did you just graduate recently?" Rika asked, straight to the point.

"Yes, Miss Rika," the replacement said.

Rika remembered herself in the same situation almost two years ago. She just graduated from her college education when she got hired by Tokyo Corporation and that was also the time she left Henry because she thought that she was too incapable for him.

_What am I going to do if I don't have job anymore? Clean the entire house? Watch television or go shopping? Gaaawd! I don't want that kind of living! _

Rika's thoughts drove her to her conversation with Henry last month.

**FLASHBACK:**

"And what shall I do if I resign?" Rika asked after drinking her water.

"We could run the company by ourselves. We'll have a partnership here… And besides, I really don't want my wife to work under me… I want you to work with the same intensity as mine, you know?" Henry explained.

"Hmm… I don't know… since I worked as someone's subordinate for almost three years… so I got used to being the subordinate already…" Rika answered.

"You said to me that if Mr. Nashita managed the firm greatly, I could do the same. You can also do it. Just believe in yourself, Honey!" Henry smiled and touched Rika's hand.

"Maybe I guess…" Rika said, somewhat agreeing to what Henry said.

"Unless you want to work as a model… That's what girlfriends of most CEOs are, right?!" Henry replied with a grin. "Models!"

"Henry!" Rika exclaimed. "You know pretty well that I won't do that!"

"I'm just kidding, Rika!" Henry said in pretend surrender.

**END OF FLASHBACK**

_Work as a model? That's fallacy! _Rika thought. _And I'm never suited for that kind of job! Besides, if I get pregnant, I don't know when I'll get my figure back…_

Rika's thoughts were ruined when Noriko called her.

"Miss Rika? Miss Rika?" the young woman said.

"Yes?" Rika answered, facing her replacement.

"How am I going to do this?" the replacement asked nervously since she did not know how to do the reports in finances while a sheet of paper was just near her side.

Rika only smiled and looked at what Noriko had been doing. She handed her a copy of what she did in the previous month so Noriko could look at it as a guide.

_I used to be the student… and now, I'm the teacher! _Rika thought as she saw her replacement doing what she was supposed to do.

They kept that up for hours until Miss Matsumoto came over to them.

"How's everything, girls?" the supervisor asked.

"Looks like my replacement learns fast!" Rika commented. "Keep it up, Noriko!"

Noriko smiled. "Thank you, Miss Rika! I'll do my best!" she said.

Rika nodded and stood near her desk so she could fix her things. She placed her bag on her shoulder and left her cubicle. When she went to the elevator, she found an occupied one with five passengers. When they saw her, they greeted her.

"Hi, Ma'am Rika!" they said.

Rika felt weird whenever she got called by the honorific so she only smiled.

"Hello!" she only said. _Curse this life of mine!_

When the elevator reached the ground floor, it opened there and Rika went outside it. She was at the reception area when employees greeted her once again.

"Hi, Ma'am Rika!" they said and left already.

_When will I get used to it? _Rika thought. _Anyway, it's never a need since I only got a week left here in the company… _

Rika's thoughts were interrupted when someone greeted her.

"Hi, Ma'am Rika!" the voice said.

Rika looked up to see Yuriko and made a face. The last time Yuriko talked to her was when Yuriko pointed out that she was Henry's "girlfriend". Rika only knew that Yuriko was only Henry's assistant and nothing more than that.

_Stupid woman_… Rika thought as she smiled at her dryly. _This is what I was really talking about! If they knew that I'm Henry's wife, no one would be true to me! Well, except for Aimi… She still acts normal in front of me anyway._

Rika kept on walking but she did not realize that she was already standing at the entrance of their building until she heard a car stop in front of her.

"Let's go?" Henry asked her while opening the door where she usually sat.

Rika smiled and nodded. She eventually hopped in their car with Henry going inside and controlling the wheel once again.

While Henry was driving, Rika looked at her window and saw the sun-soaked city of Shinjuku. She could see that the sky was colored orange because of the sun which was about to set and the clouds were moving in a horizontal direction.

When they arrived at their destination, Rika could see that Henry drove over to the Shinjuku Park once again. They alighted and walked towards the park and the sun was setting slightly, rendering the red-orange sky picturesque.

"Henry, why are we here again?" Rika asked as she noticed again the green park that had the pink cherry blossoms in it. She eventually sat on a bench which was located near her side.

Henry did not reply and sat beside Rika on the bench. His left hand was slowly grasping Rika's right hand and raised it slightly. Eventually he kissed it with Rika blushing a bit.

"Henry!" Rika said, trying her best to hold back her blush.

"What?" Henry asked, looking at her.

"Why did we come here again?" Rika asked.

"I just want to reminisce how I met you, Miss Digimon Queen!" Henry winked.

"I can't believe that this park is very special to us!" Rika mused. "This is where we first met… twelve years ago."

"I know," Henry said.

"And you said, because of the cherry blossoms, this is where you'll bring the woman you love," Rika said. "But you brought me here after we're officially dating and that included now."

"No. I brought you here already even before we became together," Henry explained. "Do you remember the time I brought you here because I asked you out?"

Rika made some thinking. She finally remembered what happened here almost a month ago.

"Yeah, I remember…" Rika muttered.

"You're the one I only loved at that time… And I was right… I indeed brought the woman I love here!" Henry smiled.

Rika eventually blushed again. "I wonder what could possibly happen next here in this park… so much for the memories that had been created!"

Henry fidgeted for the ring box in his pocket and took it secretly out of it. Since Rika looked away for a while, he took the opportunity to fix the ring box in his hand.

"Something will happen right here in this park," Henry said, snapping the auburn-haired young woman out of her thoughts.

Rika looked back at Henry. "What is it?" she asked.

Eventually, Henry stood up from his sitting and immediately knelt down in front of Rika, with the ring box opened and showed the engagement ring.

"Rika, I had loved you very much from the start. You were always in my mind and in my heart… I couldn't be happier when I found you again. I wanted to be with you until the very end… and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Rika Nonaka, will you marry me again?" he asked her sincerely.

Rika was silent because she could not believe that Henry was offering her a real marriage.

"I knew that I was wrong to marry you for the sake of money but I only did that to safeguard my future and my sister's. But the best thing that I did in my life was to love you and care for you. By being secretly married to you, I realized that marriage is a union of two lovers. And I will marry you because I love you."

Rika was touched by Henry's words and let out a few tears of joy so she attempted to move her hands to wipe her tears. Henry chuckled as he wiped them with his two thumbs.

"Yes," Rika said softly as she recovered and smiled.

"What?" Henry asked purposely, wanting to hear her answer for one last time.

"Yes! I will marry you, Henry Wong!" Rika repeated with a smile.

Henry, with utmost jubilation, placed the ring box on the bench and hugged Rika instantly. Rika was taken aback with the embrace but she hugged her husband back.

"I love you…" they said to each other.

Rika took the diamond ring from the box and showed it to Henry. She noticed that something was engraved on it and it read: _"I love you ~ Henry."_

"I realized that I haven't given you an engagement ring even if we're married for show," Henry explained.

Rika chuckled. "Thank you for this, Henry. Can you put it on my finger?" she said.

"I would love to!" Henry smiled and took the ring from the box and placed it slowly on Rika's left ring finger.

Now wearing the ring, she began to hug Henry once again and the two let out laughter as they savored the moment with each other. When they broke apart, both of them wore smiles on their faces.

"Now I get what you mean, Henry! This is the place where we're now officially engaged," Rika said in amusement.

"This is how I wanted you to remember this place… this day… this moment in our lives," Henry said with a smile.

Then the newly engaged couple shared a passionate kiss as the sun had completely set. Henry's lips brushed against Rika's for a moment and Rika slightly parted her lips for Henry to make entrance. When they finished, they broke away with smiles on their faces once again.

"I love you…" they mumbled again to each other.

* * *

Not long after, the couple left Shinjuku Park and went to their car. Henry started the engines so they could go home while Rika was still looking at the ring because she could not believe that they were getting married again.

_Rika! This is already real! You're not dreaming! _Rika berated herself.

"Rika?" Henry asked.

"I just can't believe that we're getting married again," Rika explained.

"I know." Henry smiled. "I can't wait for that day."

"So am I!" Rika said, smiling.

After driving around the main highway of Shinjuku, Rika and Henry finally arrived at their home. Both wore happy faces because both of them were going to get married for real this time.

Henry immediately went to their room so he could change into a plain white shirt and grey shorts while Rika went in the bathroom since she remembered that she accidentally placed her blue sleeveless tank top and white shorts there before taking a bath.

Eventually, Henry saw that Rika went inside their room and walked towards the bed. When she finally got into the bed and lied there, she placed her head on the pillow and her body lying straight on the bed with her legs spread. With this, Henry kissed her in the cheek and began leaving a trail of kisses on her neck. Rika blushed with this and started to giggle.

"Henry?" she asked while giggling.

"Mmm?" Henry mumbled because he was too busy kissing her in the neck.

"Save it for our honeymoon, will you?" Rika chuckled and shoved Henry playfully from her.

"As you wish, my love!" Henry replied with a grin and sat up beside Rika while his left arm was around her.


	21. Danger Ahead

**Author's Note: **Please beware for possible OOCs. This is Chapter 21. Please read, review and suggest. Thanks! :D

* * *

**Chapter 21: Danger Ahead**

Two weeks had passed since the incident that occurred in Rika's territory. Everyone had used to calling Rika "Ma'am" but it was short-lived since Rika had officially resigned as an employee in the financing division and entered a totally new life as a the owner's wife as well.

The couple was planning their wedding after Henry proposed to Rika in Shinjuku Park. Henry told Rika that he wanted to get married on their anniversary so that was the reason behind his early proposal. Since he was still busy, they decided to take care of the things related to the wedding as early as of now.

It was a Friday afternoon when Rika was talking to their wedding coordinator that Henry hired. She wanted to see her so she could talk to her about what she and Henry wanted in the first place. Rika was wearing her white long-sleeved blouse that extended to her elbows and a black skirt that extended to her knees. In addition, her feet were clad with red flat shoes while her auburn hair was tied in a ponytail.

"When are you going to send the invitations?" she kindly asked Kazumi, the wedding coordinator. Kazumi had brown hair, fair complexion and a yellow V-neck and sleeveless dress that extended to her knees and she wore black flat shoes.

"Maybe two weeks from now, Mrs. Wong. I just got in touch with the person who offered to print it. Besides, we have the list of the addresses since Sir Henry sent them to us," Kazumi replied with a smile.

"Thank you, Kazumi! You're really doing a great job!" Rika praised. _And Henry did a good job. I'm so happy to have him!_

With that, Kazumi smiled and walked her over to a taxi that just pulled over.

"Bye, Ma'am!" Kazumi bid Rika goodbye. "Take care!"

"You too, Kazumi!" Rika said and went inside the taxi.

When the taxi traveled the highway of Shinjuku, Rika told the driver to drop her at Tokyo Corporation and the driver relented.

"At least, he's also doing his share of the job in preparing the wedding!" Rika mused.

Then, Rika's phone rang. When she looked at the screen, she found that it was Henry who was calling.

_"Hi, Rika!"_

"Yes, dear husband?" Rika answered with a chuckle.

_"I just miss you,"_ he said from the other line.

_Gosh! He never changes! He just called because he misses me and come to think of it, we just met earlier! _Rika thought.

_"Where are you, anyway?" _Henry asked after Rika had not spoken for two minutes.

"I'm on my way to see you in the office. I just saw Kazumi and she told me that everything would be alright in her hands!"

_"That's great. I'm so happy that you'll go here. It's so lonesome here since I'm getting really busy."_

"Oh. You're busy and I guess your time's wasted because of calling me. I better go so you can concentrate in work," Rika said with a hint of scolding in her voice.

Henry chuckled from the other line. _"You know that I'll leave my job just for you, right? Anyway, I wanted to see my in-laws. I haven't told them that we're engaged again."_

"Don't leave your job just for me, Henry. We might suffer from losses because of what you're doing," Rika replied.

_"Oh yeah! Right… Alright! I'll just put in mind that I'm doing this for our future children. So, you're going up in the office?"_

Rika smiled at the mention of their future children. She felt excited already to get married again.

"Okay. I'll go there later at three," Rika said. "So we could tell the truth to my probably giddy mother and happy grandmother!"

_"Okay. I'll wait for you. I love you!"_

"I love you too!" Rika said.

Not long after, Rika eventually arrived at her former workplace. As she got out of the taxi, she eventually paid for it. When she looked at the façade, she could not believe that she would become its owner as well.

_Even if I didn't get promoted, still I got automatically placed in the highest order of the company, _Rika thought.

Rika looked around and saw a black car parked far away from the building. She felt that it resembled the car that almost ran her over some time ago.

_Nah! There are just many black cars here in Japan! _Rika thought as she returned her gaze to the entrance. _But the license plate was somehow familiar to me._

Far from the building where Rika stood was actually Fumiko Satou who was sitting inside her car and had just arrived. As she saw Rika walking the stairway, a tinge of anger came through her eyes while she gritted her teeth.

_That woman's so lucky to have nine lives! It just happened that I failed in my attempt to run her over one time! _Fumiko thought and started her car.

Rika was walking in the lobby when she met many employees as well.

"Hi, Ma'am! Long time no see!" they said.

_Is it long time? It's only just two weeks! _Rika thought and greeted them back. _Speaking of that, maybe I should visit my territory and my teammates! _

Eventually, she looked at her watch and found that it was only 2:40 PM.

_Maybe I should go… Besides, it's still early though! _Rika thought. _3:00 PM at the fifth floor, alright?_

With that, she decided to go to her territory in the third floor. She went inside an elevator that was full of employees.

"Ma'am Rika!" they chorused.

"Hi!" she said, faking her smile.

"You know, Ma'am, you're so kind. Unlike wives of CEOs nowadays, they're as bitchy as hell!" a female employee remarked.

"Yeah!" the others agreed.

_Am I that kind? I only just look at them plainly! _Rika thought. "Bitchy?"

"Yeah! Bitchy!" the female employee answered.

When the elevator stopped at the third floor, it opened and Rika went out. When she was at the lobby, the employees chorused their goodbyes to her. Rika only smiled and made her way towards her territory.

"Was it me or the employees were just joking?" she mused.

As she stepped inside her territory, she saw Aimi who was sitting on her desk. Just as she was about to say a thing, Aimi immediately saw her.

"RIKAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" she exclaimed.

Aimi eventually stood up and ran towards Rika. She hugged her afterwards.

"It isn't obvious that you missed me, is it?" Rika jokingly said while looking at Aimi.

"I didn't just miss you, Girl!" Aimi chuckled as she looked at Rika as well. "I totally missed you!"

"You're an idiot! HAHA! How's it going here?" Rika asked as she and Aimi broke away from each other.

Eventually, Sakura and Noriko came over to them and hugged Rika as well. "We're fine here, Ma'am Rika!"

"Don't Ma'am me, Sakura!" Rika protested. "It's like we weren't teammates before, you know?"

"Awww!" Sakura and Aimi chorused.

"Hi, Ma'am Rika! Looking good, aren't we?" Noriko asked Rika. After learning that Rika was the boss's wife, Noriko became even kinder to Rika.

Rika only smiled at Noriko. Not long after, Miss Matsumoto appeared as well and smiled at Rika.

"How's it going, Mrs. Wong?" she asked.

"It's fine, Miss Matsumoto!" Rika smirked. "I mean, Miss Takara!"

"Thanks for visiting us, Rika! We really missed you so much!" Aimi said. "Anyway, Masato's here!"

At the mention of his name, Masato walked towards the two teammates.

"Hi, Ma'am!" he said.

"Hello, Masato! Tried dating already? Aimi's single!" Rika chuckled and laid out her hand as if she was presenting Aimi in front of him.

"No way!" Aimi said.

"Not yet, Ma'am!" Masato said with a grin.

"Anyway, I just dropped by so I have to go because I'm going to see your boss also!" Rika said with a smile.

Aimi bent forward to Rika and whispered. "Knocked up?"

"Nope. We're not even making one yet!" Rika chuckled.

"Okay!" Aimi answered with a grin. "I'm so happy that you're here again! Just don't forget our deal, okay?"

"Yeah, sure! Besides, I'll be inspecting all of you!" Rika answered with her look as if she was pointing all of the employees in her territory. "Got it?"

"Yes, Ma'am!" all of them chorused.

Meanwhile, Henry was finished with his job and remembered that Rika was supposed to drop by his office. It was already 3:20 PM but he did not see his wife yet. He wondered where she could have possibly gone.

_Where's Rika? She told me that she'd see me at three! _Henry thought.

With this, Henry went outside of his office and walked near the lobby to take an elevator. When he got inside, he pressed "three" to see if Rika had possibly gone there. Not long after, the elevator opened at the third floor and he went outside it.

_Rika, where are you? _he thought.

As he was walking in the lobby, he saw his auburn-haired wife standing in her former territory. His face wore a smile after that.

"Rika!" he called out.

When Rika heard that her name was called, she instantly turned around to see who that was. She then saw Henry approaching her.

"Rika!" Henry called again.

"Henry!" Rika answered back.

"I've been looking for you," Henry replied.

"Sorry if I got held up in here. I just missed my teammates!" Rika winked.

"I understand." Henry smiled and the employees could not help but tease about them.

"Aww!" they chorused.

"Can I borrow your Madame?" Henry grinned.

"Yes, Sir!" the employees said in unison.

"Thank you!" Henry said. "By the way, are we a perfect match?"

"Yes, Sir!" they repeated. "Very perfect!"

"No sarcasm meant?" Henry asked.

"Yes, Sir!" they said for the last time.

"Okay! We have to go! I'll see you tomorrow!" Henry said and his left hand felt for Rika's right hand while Rika was only looking at him sideways. They eventually walked towards the lobby and found an elevator.

When they were inside the elevator, Rika still gave the questioning look. When Henry saw this, he was definitely puzzled with her.

"What?" Henry asked her.

"What's with the thing you said earlier?" Rika asked.

"I'm just asking our employees if they find us compatible and they said yes!" Henry said. "What's wrong with it?"

"It's embarrassing!" Rika pointed out.

"Why should you be embarrassed? Besides, I'm proud to have you as my wife, you know?" Henry chuckled.

"I don't know. I'm embarrassed that you asked them for that!" Rika answered.

"I just want to show them that I have the perfect girl who's perfectly matched with me." Henry smiled.

Rika only blushed while Henry placed his arm on her waist. Eventually, the elevator opened at the fifth floor. The couple went outside it and headed towards the office. Rika saw Mika at the desk and the latter greeted her.

"Hi, Ma'am!" Mika cheerfully greeted.

"Hi, Mika!" Rika returned the greeting.

The couple went inside the office and closed the door. Henry went to fix the things in his desk while Rika sat on the visitor's chair.

"I thought you're busy!" Rika teased.

"I was already finished when I came down, you know?" Henry smiled. "So, shall we go now?"

"Hmm… Okay!" Rika relented.

With that, Henry took his phone and clutch bag while letting Rika go out first.

"You don't have to be so formal, Henry!" Rika said seriously.

"I was really raised this way. Sorry!" Henry said apologetically.

"Okay!" Rika smiled.

They walked towards the lobby and found an empty elevator. They took it and they were going downward to the ground floor. When it opened at the ground floor and they went outside, Henry and Rika separated since Henry was going to get the car from the parking lot.

"But hurry up, okay?" Rika said.

"Okay!" Henry said and went to the basement to get their car.

Rika meandered in the lobby. Again, she got many greetings from the employees.

"Hi, Ma'am Rika!" they said while Rika had no choice but to fake a smile once again.

Rika went outside of the office and she was waiting for Henry already at the small stairway. She was standing at the entrance so she could easily see him. But she had an uneasy feeling because she really felt that someone was watching her. She walked around the façade and looked sideways to see if someone was around but she only found nothing except for the black car that she saw earlier.

_Was the black car that I saw really parked here? _Rika thought.

However, at the same time, Fumiko saw Rika walking around the façade of the building. When she was about to think of something, she felt that something was missing while trying to start the car.

_Curses! Where's my damn phone?! _she thought and started looking everywhere for phone in her bag.

Meanwhile, Rika stood to wait for Henry after she deduced that no one was there and the car was just parked there for some reason. Not long after, Henry's car went towards her and stopped. Henry went outside of it and he was apparently rushing.

"Hey, Babe! I need to get in! I forgot to time out!" he said and made a run towards the reception area.

"You're such an idiot!" Rika berated him playfully.

"I know. Wait for me, okay?" Henry laughed.

"Okay!" Rika smiled.

With that, Rika instantly went to the driver's area of the car. She hopped inside it. But in reality, she was just going to put the car in hazard mode and sat in the driver's seat.

In the meantime, Fumiko found her phone and saw Rika hopping inside the car. She assumed that Rika alone was inside the car.

_Get ready for my revenge, Rika. And it's about time I get what I deserve! _Fumiko thought as she saw the car where Rika had hopped into. _Silver car, auburn-haired woman…_

However, Fumiko saw her phone and found fifty text messages inside it.

"Cursed phone! If only I found you earlier then I wouldn't have problems replying them!" Fumiko hissed while pressing the keypad on her phone furiously.

At that very moment, Henry got outside of the building while carrying a file folder and went towards his car. He peeped through the window and found Rika inside the car and signaled her to change places with him by bending the fingers of his left hand. Rika eventually relented and went outside of the car while Henry went at the back to place his folder there.

After reading and replying all the unread messages, Fumiko finally cleared her phone. She returned her vision to Rika's direction and saw her hopping outside the car.

_I'd better hide now that I know Rika's alone! _Fumiko thought as she stepped on her breaks to maneuver her car. _I need to do this for you, Henry since I can't let you be taken by Rika away!_

But what really happened was Henry actually went to the driver's seat and Rika went to the passenger's seat. The car slowly moved outside the building and Fumiko saw this so she decided to follow them. However, she did not realize that Henry was with Rika all along.

Meanwhile, the couple was driving away towards the Nonaka residence which was an hour drive from the heart of the city. Henry saw Rika who was smiling at herself.

"Are you happy?" Henry asked her.

"Yes, I am. I'm happier now that we're getting married again on our third anniversary!" Rika answered with a chuckle.

"Glad to hear it, Rika! I can't wait for that day!" Henry replied with a smile.

Rika smiled and sat up straight in her seat. She was about to keep quiet when she saw from the side mirror the black car that she saw earlier in the office.

_It's the black car! _Rika thought. _Why is it following us?_

Rika began to feel uneasy after seeing the car and closed her eyes for a second. She opened them and tried her best to remember the day when she was nearly ran over by the black car. Henry looked at Rika and noticed her uneasiness.

"Are you okay, Rika?" Henry asked her.

Rika did not reply. She just focused on remembering the whizzing car. While closing her eyes, she remembered that she saw the license plate of the black car that almost ran her over and recalled the license plate of the black car that she saw earlier. Rika realized that the two license plates were the same and she gasped in alarm.

Hearing her gasp, Henry looked at her again with worry.

"Rika, are you sure you're okay?" Henry asked again.

"Y-Yeah…" Rika managed to say.

However, Fumiko was getting impatient to execute her plan so she took a turn in the other side road and started driving there. After driving there, she had the plan to turn back to the main road and meet Henry's car there.

When Rika returned her gaze to the side mirror, she saw that the black car was completely out of sight.

_Where did it go? _Rika thought. _Whoever the owner of the car was, it probably had the plan to threaten my life!_

"Rika, are you sure you're not seeing things?" Henry asked.

"N-No!" Rika said anxiously. "I'm seeing something."

"Then what is it?" Henry inquired. "You're making me nervous with your actions. What did you see?"

Rika took a deep breath. "I saw the black car in the side mirror and it was apparently following us. But it suddenly disappeared from my sight minutes ago."

"The black car from what you were saying before?" Henry asked.

"Yes. That was the same car which almost ran me over!" Rika answered anxiously.

"Are you serious?" Henry asked her.

"Yes, Henry! I'm serious!" Rika answered him.

Not long after, Fumiko's car was stationed at the terminus of the main road. She started it so she could meet Henry's car.

_So long, Rika! _Fumiko thought evilly. _After Henry mourns for you, he will be mine!_

Meanwhile, Henry advised Rika to get in touch with the Japanese police to see if they had a record of the car that threatened Rika's life.

"Call the police, Rika, so the two of us can have a peace of mind," he suggested.

"Okay, Henry." Rika relented.

"I can't believe someone wanted to threaten your life, Rika," Henry said seriously.

"So am I, Henry," Rika answered as she dialed the number.

At that very moment, Fumiko saw Henry's car so she stepped on her gear and made her speed beyond the speed limit. She was focused with the intention of eliminating Rika from Henry's life while the car was roaring due to her high speed.

Meanwhile, Rika was making the call and saw the black car coming to their direction. Her eyes went wide and got a look of horror.

"HENRY! THAT'S THE BLACK CAR!" she screamed and looked at Henry.

"What?" Henry asked and looked at Rika.

Henry returned his gaze to the main road but Fumiko's car already crashed in front of them, tearing the front of their cars into shattered metals and distorting them greatly like wrinkles.

"AH!" the couple only said.

Because of the strong impact of the crash, Henry and Rika were shoved towards the dashboard and their heads collided on them. Because they wore seat belts, both of their heads only sustained injury and severe bleeding and those injuries caused them to lose consciousness.

That moment, Fumiko laughed like a witch and felt that she did a good job on crashing her black car with the silver car she thought Rika was driving. She decided to go out and look if Rika had been damaged completely as she thought.

_Sweet revenge! _Fumiko thought. _Just you wait, Henry! You'll be mine!_

When she got outside of her somehow wretched car, Fumiko walked towards the front part of Henry's car. Eventually in the passenger's seat, she saw a head with auburn hair that was stuck on the dashboard.

_Rika's in the passenger seat? _Fumiko thought and apparently crazed. _Who's with her?_

Then she went towards the driver's seat of the silver car by going behind her car. When she saw the damaged car, he looked further to question who Rika's companion was and she eventually saw a head with midnight-blue hair stuck on the dashboard and she became shocked upon realizing that she did not only just damage Rika but also Henry. After that, her face got a look of horror and shame for what she did.

_I did not just kill Rika! _Fumiko thought crazily. _But also Henry! Aaaaaaaaaah!_

Realizing that she "killed" Henry, Fumiko began her hysteria. She began screaming crazily and ran around the main road as if she was totally insane.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! NOOOOOOOOO!" she yelled. "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Fumiko did not realize that during her hysteria, a car was already driving towards her. When she looked at the car, the car had already hit her and due to the impact, she was thrown on the side and died instantly due to her severe blow in the head.

At the same moment, witnesses phoned the police and the ambulance for the victims.

* * *

Meanwhile in another office, Alice McCoy was seen working on her computer until she heard her phone ring.

"Hello?" she said. _Unknown number? What's this?_

_"Is this Miss Alice McCoy?" _the voice from the other line said.

"Yes. Who is this? May I know who's speaking please?"

_"This is Police Officer Hiyasaki. Do you know a couple named Henry and Rika Wong?" _

Alice felt nervous after hearing the last sentence. _What's going on with them?_

"Yes, Sir. They're my friends. What is it, Sir?" Alice asked, trying to hide the nervousness in her voice.

_"Your friends got into an accident and they were brought in Shinjuku Medical Hospital. Can you please inform her relatives? Thank you."_

Alice felt that the blood rushed to her head after hearing that her friends got into an accident. She tried to be calm so she could understand what the police was talking about.

"Y-Yes, I will! T-Thank you for informing me, Sir!" Alice said frantically.

After she had hung up, Alice began to palm her face in horror because of what she heard.

"I'd better call Mrs. Nonaka and Grandma Seiko!" Alice said. "Then Takato and the others!"

Alice nervously dialed the number on her phone to notify Mrs. Nonaka about the bad news.

* * *

Meanwhile at the Nonaka home, Mrs. Nonaka was watching television with Grandma Seiko when her phone rang and she was wearing her violet turtleneck with long sleeves and a pair of white pants. She began to answer it and found that Alice was calling.

"Hello?" Mrs. Nonaka said. "Alice!"

_"Mrs. Nonaka!" _Alice said frantically in the other line.

"What is it, Alice? You sound nervous!" Mrs. Nonaka asked, curious to why Alice was nervous.

_"It's Rika and Henry! They got into an accident!" _Alice burst from the other line. _"They're in Shinjuku Medical Hospital right now!"_

Mrs. Nonaka collected her breath and decided to be firm but deep inside she was already nervous for her daughter and son-in-law. "Okay! We'll be there! Thank you for calling us!"

When Mrs. Nonaka wordlessly hung up the phone, Grandma Seiko's face frowned while wearing her white blouse and black skirt. "Rumiko, who's that and what's that?"

"It's Alice, Mom," Mrs. Nonaka said nervously as she walked towards the table. "She told me that Rika and Henry were in the hospital because of an accident! Let's go, Mom!"

"Okay, dear." Grandma Seiko stood up and got ready. "Let's go."

* * *

That afternoon, Alice McCoy and Ryo Akiyama arrived in the hospital and asked the receptionist to where Henry and Rika were.

"Henry and Rika Wong?" Ryo asked.

"In the emergency room. Please wait for the doctor to come out for further information," the receptionist said and pointed the emergency room.

"Thank you," the couple said in unison.

Ryo and Alice stood near the emergency room and pacing around aimlessly.

"I don't understand this. Henry's been a careful driver ever since!" Ryo wondered.

"I agree, Ryo. But there could be other angles behind the accident!" Alice pointed out to Ryo calmly.

Not long after, Takato Matsuki and Jeri Katou arrived as well as Kazu Shioda and Kenta Kitagawa.

"Hi, guys!" Kazu greeted.

"Hello!" Ryo said and gave a handshake to Kazu and Kenta as well as Takato.

"Alice!" Jeri said and hugged Alice. "I hope they're alright!"

"Yeah! I wish they're really fine!" Kenta added.

"Did you call Rika's guardians?" Takato asked. "Too bad the older Wongs aren't here."

"Yes, I did," Alice answered. "I hope that they'll be here by now!"

Seconds later, Mrs. Nonaka and Grandma Seiko arrived at the hospital and found the six adults standing around.

"Mrs. Nonaka!" the six friends chorused.

"Hello! I just heard the news!" Mrs. Nonaka said. "I just hope my daughter and son-in-law are fine!"

"They'll be fine, Mrs. Nonaka," Alice said. "Let's just pray for their recovery."

A couple of minutes passed and the six adults stood nervously and anxiously as they had not yet received news from their friends. Not long after, two policemen came over to the eight people.

"Pardon me but which among you is Miss Alice McCoy?" the policeman said with his deep voice.

Alice raised her hand and the policeman went to them.

"Miss McCoy, I'm Inspector Hiyasaki and the one you talked to earlier," the policeman introduced himself and offered to shake Alice's hand.

Alice shook the officer's hand while Jeri immediately went to the side of Rika's guardians.

"What really happened, Sir?" Alice asked courteously.

"According to the witnesses, they were just driving when suddenly, a black car collided onto the Wongs' car. Because of the impact, both of the cars got shattered and stalled in the highway which caused heavy traffic along the main road of Shinjuku."

"Oh my God!" Mrs. Nonaka said as Jeri pacified her.

"Goodness!" Grandma Seiko said anxiously.

"Then in addition to what they witnessed, the driver of the black car that crashed with the Wongs' went outside of it and was laughing insanely when she saw the effect of the crash."

"It was a woman?" Alice asked and felt goosebumps on her skin.

"Yes, Ma'am. It was a woman. Furthermore, she went to the damaged silver car so she could see what happened. When she saw that your friends were the ones aboard, she became hysterical and ran like mad."

"Oh no!" Mrs. Nonaka cried while Alice came to her and Jeri went to Grandma Seiko.

Because of what the police said, Jeri remembered something so she looked at Takato. After recognizing the look on her face, Takato's mind recalled that Henry and Rika told them about the black car that threatened Rika's life a month ago. They concluded that the black car finally executed its plan to hurt not only Rika but also Henry.

"Did you find out who bumped the car?" Jeri asked, trying to figure out her suspicions correctly.

"According to her identifications, the name's Fumiko Satou. Do you think of any motive that could've made her do this heinous action?"

Jeri returned her gaze to Takato and remembered that Henry and Rika told them about the hair-pulling incident that involved Rika and the aforementioned woman because of the latter's unrequited love for Henry. She moved towards Takato.

"Did you ever think that woman actually wanted Rika out of the picture?" Jeri whispered nervously.

"I guess so. Judging from what Henry and Rika told us and what the policeman just narrated, the stories actually matched. It just happened that because of her anger towards Rika, Henry was also dragged in this mess."

"So are we going to tell this to the police?" Jeri answered back.

"Not now. Let Henry and Rika sort this thing out when they wake up. At least, they know what to do," Takato explained.

When the brown-haired couple looked to their friends again, their friends and the police looked as if they were demanding an explanation.

"We'll explain when our friends wake up. Right now, we can't divulge something very personal," Takato said in their behalf.

"Uhm… this Fumiko… Where's she now?" Ryo asked.

"When she had her hysteria, she ran crazily and got run over by a car. She's dead on the spot," the policeman answered. "Well, for you two, I'll respect your decision to wait until your friends wake up. Please notify me if you have leads regarding this case because we have to go now as well."

"Yes, Sir," Alice said plainly. "Thank you, Sir."

When the policeman sauntered off, the friends and Rika's guardians got a look of disdain.

"God, there are so many criminals today!" Kazu said.

Alice comforted Mrs. Nonaka while Jeri went to Grandma Seiko. Both of Rika's guardians were disheartened after hearing the narration earlier.

"Do you think that the woman was actually after Rika because she got married to Henry?" Kenta asked, out of the blue.

Takato and Jeri looked at each other and silently confirmed that it the answer was almost there.

"You're right, Kenta! Since Henry's the CEO of Tokyo Corporation, there could be threats to their lives!" Kazu replied back.

Suddenly, the doctor came out of the emergency room. All of the people looked at him in anxiety.

"Who here are the relatives of the patients?" the doctor asked.

"We are. We're her mother and grandmother," Mrs. Nonaka said trying to be strong.

The doctor looked at his clipboard seriously. "Your daughter and son-in-law are fine. Their heads somehow got injured slightly. But it would take time for them to wake up because their foreheads were the ones affected."

With this, the adults only had glum looks on their faces because they were hoping that their friends would recover.


	22. Overcoming All

**Author's Note: **Please read, review and suggest. This is Chapter 22. Thanks! :D

* * *

**Chapter 22: Overcoming All**

At eight in the evening, the eight adults still did not receive news about the recovery of the young couple. All of them were already standing near the room where Henry and Rika were. Kazu and Kenta already slept on one side of the bench while Alice and Ryo were standing and pondering about what they heard earlier. Takato and Jeri sat down as they planned how to tell the truth to Henry and Rika when they woke up. But both of them succumbed to cluelessness after realizing that they really could not start from the beginning.

"Takato, I'm tired…" Jeri whispered. "… of thinking."

"I know," Takato said. "At least we did our best in thinking of how to start."

Grandma Seiko noticed that Mrs. Nonaka and the young adults were already tired and weary. She walked towards her daughter who was still distraught with what happened to Rika.

"Rumiko, let's take a rest and get Rika some clothes. I have keys to their house, you know?" Grandma Seiko said as she coaxed her daughter into going home. "We can't stay here with Rika having no clothes to wear, right?"

"Alright, Mom," Mrs. Nonaka said as she hugged Grandma Seiko. "I'm really worried for Rika and Henry. Rika even told me how wonderful her marriage with Henry was."

"I know that they'll recover. We only need prayers for them to survive," Grandma Seiko assured. "What about you? Are you all going to stay here?"

"Maybe, Grandma Seiko. We'll guard Henry and Rika for you!" Jeri assured. "Besides, we can spend the night here waiting for them."

"And if you need help, you can call us!" Takato agreed.

The two older ladies eventually walked away. Meanwhile, Ryo and Alice stood up as well as Kazu and Kenta who were still groggy from their slumber.

"We're going to go, guys," Alice said as she brought Kenta who was about to collapse in weariness. "We'll be back tomorrow."

"Yeah! We'll be back tomorrow so we could have the good news," Ryo agreed while dragging Kazu with him.

"Okay!" the brown-haired couple said in unison as their friends walked away.

Jeri looked at Takato in sympathy and placed her head on Takato's shoulder.

"They'll be okay, Jeri…" Takato mumbled as he caressed his girlfriend's brown hair.

* * *

The next day at nine in the morning, Mrs. Nonaka and Grandma Seiko arrived and saw the brown-haired couple asleep on one bench near the door. Even if they tried their best not to wake them, Takato woke up, rubbed and opened his eyes and eventually saw Rika's guardians.

"Good morning, Mrs. Nonaka!" Takato said as his eyes were clear already for him.

"Did you receive news?" Mrs. Nonaka asked.

"Not yet, Ma'am." Takato only shrugged.

Jeri eventually woke up and saw Mrs. Nonaka in front of her. She began to sit up straight.

"We haven't got news, Mrs. Nonaka. We're sorry," Jeri said sadly.

Then they saw Alice, Ryo, Kazu and Kenta walking in front of them. The brown-haired couple and Rika's guardians only nodded after they saw them.

* * *

Inside their room at that time, Henry woke up and opened his eyes. He saw himself being dressed in white and his eyes went to the right side. He saw that Rika was lying on her bed while dressed in white as well. He felt for his head and realized that he had a bandage. With that, he twitched his hands and legs so he could figure out if he got damaged from the accident.

_I can move and I still got my memory, _Henry thought. _But my head really got close to the dashboard yesterday._

He moved his legs sideward so he could get down from his bed. When he got down, he used a pair of white slippers so he could walk normally. As he was walking, Henry's eyes went moist at the sight of his wife.

_Rika… I hope she's okay! _Henry thought again.

When he walked closer, he could see that Rika was also wearing a bandage and a bad bruise appeared on her right arm while her auburn hair was down and a part of it was draped on her right. However, she was still unconscious so he took a chair near her bed and sat there.

_Rika, please wake up! _Henry thought. _I don't know what I'll do without you. _

With that, Henry's two hands grasped for Rika's right hand and kissed it. His eyes let out tears as he thought that Rika must have been greatly damaged by the accident.

_Rika, you have to live, _Henry thought as he held Rika's hand tightly. _Even if we don't have kids, at least I have you._

Rika still did not move. This caused Henry to let out more tears as well.

"Rika, I love you more than anything else. Please… You have to live because you're my life. I'll be dead if I lost you this time. I want to see you live and smile again. I love you and you alone, Rika Nonaka Wong," Henry said while crying and his tears slowly dropped on the white covers of Rika's bed.

Not long after, Rika opened her eyes and felt for her right hand. As she moved her head to the right side, she saw that Henry was crying while his hands were holding her right hand and with that, a small smile went to her face. She moved her left hand and placed it on Henry's left hand as well.

_I love you too, Henry, _Rika thought._ Even if death comes to break us apart._

While he was crying, Henry felt something touched his hand. When he opened his eyes, he found that Rika's left hand was already touching his and he saw Rika who was now awake and smiling at him.

"Rika?" Henry asked.

"Henry…" Rika said.

Henry had let go of Rika's hand and softly hugged her while crying tears of joy.

"Thank God you're alive!" he said. "I thought I was gonna lose you."

"No, Henry. I'll be right beside you no matter what happens," Rika said, hugging Henry back.

When they broke away from each other, Rika looked at Henry intently.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"For what?" Henry asked while holding Rika's hands.

"For dragging you into this. If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't get hurt. You're a good guy and you couldn't get hurt just like me. If the owner of the black car wanted to kill me, so be it. I'm the one who shouldn't be alive right now…"

"Don't say that, Rika. You still have a right to live. You're a good woman but you just need time to prove it," Henry said. "And wherever you go, I'll always be with you… even in the afterlife. The important thing is that I'm with you."

"Really?" Rika asked again.

"One more doubt and I'll have to seal your lips," Henry said, playfully threatening Rika.

Rika actually had to ask something so she could not help but say it.

"What if…" she said.

Henry pressed his lips gently onto Rika's with Rika's eyes widening as plates. Soon, Rika also kissed him quickly and sweetly.

"I won't let anyone hinder our love anymore. One is enough and that's final," Henry declared as they broke away and smiled at Rika. "Can I have another?"

"At the wedding, Mr. Wong. You'll have that again at our wedding!" Rika said playfully, pinching Henry's left cheek.

"Okay, Mrs. Wong!" Henry answered.

"Should we tell the others that we're conscious already? I know they're already worried about us!" Rika said.

"Not yet, Hon. I want to enjoy you first," Henry answered playfully.

"Henry Wong!" Rika said while laughing. "That enjoyment will happen after our wedding, okay? Right now, we need to inform our visitors about ourselves."

"You're right!" Henry said and dialed the number on the phone. "Good morning. This is Henry and Rika Wong at Room 106 already alive and kicking. Please send a nurse soon. Thanks!"

When he hung the phone, Rika only raised an eyebrow.

"What?" Henry asked.

"Your head's injured like mine and you still managed to be joking like that?!" Rika exclaimed.

"Of course. It's just a way to radiate positive energy!" Henry answered good-naturedly.

When the nurse came inside, she was surprised to see the couple playing jokes with one another.

"Uhm… Sir Henry and Ma'am Rika Wong?" the nurse said.

"Yes?" the two answered in unison.

"Am I going to let visitors inside?" the nurse asked.

"Sure!" the two chorused. "Just the relatives!"

The nurse relented and went outside of the room. She remembered that when she passed by the hallway earlier, the tamers and Rika's guardians were still asleep. Now, all of them were already awake.

"Good morning!" the nurse greeted. "Your friends are awake now but they need to see the wife's family first."

"Go ahead, Mrs. Nonaka and Grandma Seiko!" Alice urged the two older ladies. "We'll be okay here, right guys?"

"Right!" the friends chorused.

"Okay! I just hope my daughter's not totally injured as I thought!" Mrs. Nonaka said. "Let's go, Mom!"

Rika's two guardians stood up and opened the door. When they got inside, they saw Henry and Rika playing a rock-paper-scissors game and smiled.

"Hi!" Mrs. Nonaka and Grandma Seiko greeted.

"Mom!" the two chorused and stopped the game for a while. "Grandma!"

Mrs. Nonaka hugged Rika and Henry while Grandma Seiko followed suit. Both were astounded at their recovery.

"I'm happy that you guys recovered! I don't know what I'll do if my baby girl will be taken from me!" Mrs. Nonaka said as she examined them from head to toe.

"Mom!" Rika chuckled. "I'm really so glad to see you two, Mom and Grandma!"

"Me too, dear. I'm happy seeing you two looking cute and cuddly despite having head injuries!" Grandma Seiko replied.

Rika and Henry looked at each other and smiled. The two ladies were delighted that the two were happy with each other. Mrs. Nonaka even talked to Rika and sat on the bed with Rika only nodding in reply.

"Anyway, who else is outside, Grandma?" Rika asked.

"Your friends Takato, Jeri, Kazu, Kenta, Ryo and Alice!" Grandma Seiko answered.

"Wonderful!" Henry exclaimed.

With this, Grandma Seiko had the need to tell what they learned from the police yesterday afternoon.

"Rumiko, shall we tell what we heard from the police officer yesterday?" Grandma Seiko whispered as she went towards her daughter.

"I think. They're already strong enough," Mrs. Nonaka replied.

"Okay. Anyway, Henry, we're going to get Takato and Jeri. The two of them would love to see you!" Grandma Seiko answered pleasantly.

"Okay!" the couple answered.

Grandma Seiko went outside and closed the door, leaving the trio chattering excitedly.

When Grandma Seiko got outside, the six adults stood up.

"I'm afraid that I'll have to get only Takato and Jeri. I think they have the need to tell what they were whispering yesterday," Grandma Seiko stated.

Takato was wearing a blue shirt and grey pants with white shoes while Jeri was wearing her hair in a half ponytail and wore her yellow shirt and green cargo pants with her white rubber shoes.

"Okay, Grandma Seiko!" Takato acknowledged. "You guys won't mind if we go in?"

"Go ahead, Takato," Ryo replied. "We'll be fine here. Say hi to Rika and Henry for us!"

Takato and Jeri went with Grandma Seiko and entered the room. When they got inside, they saw the couple who were still laughing despite being injured.

"Hi guys!" they called.

"Takato! Jeri!" the couple chorused.

"How are you?" Jeri asked as she hugged Rika.

"How's it going, buddy?!" Takato asked Henry.

"We're good. Just this," Rika answered and pointed to her head.

"Anyway, we have to tell you something, guys and you won't probably like this!" Takato declared.

"What's it, Takato?" Henry asked.

"It's about the accident yesterday," Takato replied. "Jeri, I know you won't like this so close your ears now."

"Don't worry, Takato. I'm numb already to that one!" Jeri chuckled. "Seriously, you can begin."

"Before I start, let me ask you first, Rika," Takato said. "You told us that you almost got ran over by a black car, right?"

"Yes," Rika answered. "I remembered the plate numbers very well when I first nearly got hit by the whizzing car. Yesterday, when I was about to enter our building, I saw the black car with the familiar plating and it chased us in the highway yesterday. But I don't know who it was and why did it send us to this mess."

"Then that sends us to the very same thing!" Takato replied. "The black car that almost killed Rika was the perpetrator of the crime."

Henry and Rika only looked at each other and returned their gaze to Takato so he could start.

"What happened after our accident?" Rika asked.

"Well, a police contacted Alice yesterday so she notified us and them," Takato said, referring the "them" as Mrs. Nonaka and Grandma Seiko. "We came here after Alice told us and we stayed for an hour until they arrived."

"Then what did the police say?" Henry asked.

"According to the witnesses, your car were just driving when suddenly, the black car collided onto yours. Because of the impact, both of the cars got shattered and stalled in the highway which caused heavy traffic along the main road of Shinjuku," Takato answered, echoing the very same thing they picked up yesterday.

Henry and Rika were speechless with that. But they nodded so Takato could proceed.

"Then one thing that caught our attention was when the policeman mentioned that witnesses saw the driver of the black car that crashed with yours went outside of it and was laughing insanely when she saw the effect of the crash," Takato continued.

"A woman?" Rika asked.

"Yes," Jeri emphasized. "It was a woman… and you wouldn't believe what Takato would say next!"

"Yes, guys. It was a woman. Then as the policeman said, she went to the car so she could see what happened. When she saw that you two were aboard, she became hysterical and ran like mad!" Takato replied.

Rika felt her heart throbbing inside her chest. Now she knew that someone was already out there to kill her. But her mind drove over to what Takato said.

**FLASHBACK:**

"Then one thing that caught our attention was when the policeman mentioned that witnesses saw the driver of the black car that crashed with yours went outside of it and was laughing insanely when she saw the effect of the crash…"

"When she saw that you two were aboard, she became hysterical and ran like mad!"

**END OF FLASHBACK**

Rika's mind wandered and thought who could be the owner of the car. She finally recalled the hair-pulling scene when Henry confronted Fumiko who was already saying words like an insane woman at that time and deduced that the woman might possibly be Fumiko.

"Who's the driver?" Rika asked, trying to figure her suspicions.

"According to the identifications in which the police mentioned yesterday, the name's Fumiko Satou," Takato replied.

Rika turned pale and gasped. It was Fumiko all along who had the intention to kill her already. Henry looked at his wife and held her hand.

"It was Fumiko all along…" Rika mumbled.

_That bitch! _Henry thought bitterly. _She never got contented!_

"When the police asked us if that woman had motives for that ambush, we were mum and we promised never to tell anyone until you guys woke up," Jeri said, continuing what the police said yesterday.

"Yeah! The black car in the past, Fumiko and the accident yesterday were all interrelated!" Takato finished.

"What happened to Fumiko then?" Henry asked.

"Sorry to tell you this, Henry, but she's never caught," Takato replied monotonously.

"Why?" Rika asked.

"According to the police, when she had her hysteria, she ran crazily and got run over by a car. She's dead on the spot," Takato continued.

Henry and Rika felt goosebumps on their bodies after hearing that and learned that Henry's past and present story were now intertwined.

"After what I heard from you guys, it seemed that Fumiko really wanted to kill me in the first place," Rika said. "It just happened that this time, Henry's with me when she had executed her plan."

"Yeah. So, we figured that unrequited love is the motive behind the ambush. We decided not to tell it yet since it's personal but you have to talk to the police to make it confidential," Jeri replied.

Mrs. Nonaka and Grandma Seiko went pale after hearing the motives that the two figured out.

"That's what you get when you force yourself to someone who doesn't love you back," Grandma Seiko concluded.

_I wonder what Fumiko's parents are going to say now, _Henry thought. _She succeeded in hurting us and I'm sending her congratulations to where she's now!_

When he saw his wife being quiet, Henry tried to pacify her.

"It's not your fault, Rika. Believe me!" Henry said while hugging Rika. "Both of us were just victims to this kind of scene."

The people in the room only wore a look of sympathy for the couple.

"Thank you, Henry. Thank you," Rika said as she broke away and smiled half-heartedly.

"So what are you guys planning? Now that the one who did this to you is already out of this world?" Takato asked.

"I don't know, Takato. It's useless to file a case with the perpetrator gone," Henry said seriously.

Silence filled the air after Henry said those words. Takato then decided to bring a piece of hilarity inside the room.

"Now the hard stuff's out of the way, can I let the guys in?" Takato asked.

"Sure, Takato!" Henry said while his left holding Rika's right hand.

Takato went outside and saw his friends who were standing in the hallway.

"Alright! Everything's fine! You can go in, guys!" Takato said cheerfully.

The four adults went inside and found their friends alive and kicking.

"Guys! I missed you!" Kazu said, hugging Henry and Rika.

"Visorhead! It's like we're only unconscious for beyond twelve hours, you know?" Rika snorted.

Kazu chuckled while Alice went forward to Henry and Rika. Ryo only nodded while Kenta said hi.

"It's a good thing you're fine, guys!" Alice remarked.

"Yeah! That policeman told us an infuriating story!" Kazu added.

Henry only nodded and realized that along with Takato and Jeri, the others knew what happened really in the accident. They disclosed the secrets behind the accident which caused their friends to shudder at the thought of Rika being the mistress.

"At least that foxy lady's no longer living here!" Kazu said in disgust.

After that, Rika realized that she and Henry should announce their upcoming wedding soon.

"You want now?" Henry asked in whisper.

"Yeah. So they won't be surprised if they receive something!" Rika answered with a smile.

Jeri noticed that the couple was whispering something to one another.

"Looks like our beloved couple has something to say!" she squealed.

"What is it, Henry and Rika?" Mrs. Nonaka asked.

Rika stifled a laugh and looked at Henry.

"Are you going to tell them or shall I?" Henry chuckled.

"I will," Rika said.

"Uh… Are you knocked up?" Alice asked.

"No!" Rika answered. "Guys…"

"Yeah?" they chorused.

"It's official. We're getting married again!" Rika said and happily showed her engagement ring on her left ring finger.

And as expected, Jeri squealed in excitement. Mrs. Nonaka smiled at the couple.

"Oh goody! You're getting married again!" Jeri exclaimed and Mrs. Nonaka joined her.

"Congratulations!" Ryo smiled. "From me and Alice!"

"Same here! From Takato and Jeri!" Takato grinned.

"Thanks, guys!" Henry smiled.

"When's the wedding?" Kazu and Kenta asked in unison.

"On August 8!" the couple answered.

"You mean you're going to get married again on your third wedding anniversary?" Grandma Seiko asked pleasantly.

"That's the plan, Grandma!" Henry smiled.

"That's nice! Eight is said to be lucky for Chinese!" Grandma Seiko chuckled. "Do Janyuu and Mayumi know about this?"

"Yes, Grandma. I informed them so they could come here days before already," Henry explained.

"That's good!" Grandma Seiko replied. "Congratulations!"

"THANK YOU!" the couple replied together.

* * *

After four days of staying in the hospital, Henry and Rika were now preparing to go home. Takato and Jeri offered to drop them to their house since the couple lost their personal car in the accident. Henry wore his white shirt and blue pants with his blue rubber shoes while Rika was wearing her white shirt with stars as design and black pants with white flat shoes.

While Henry was combing his midnight-blue hair, Rika hugged him from behind.

"What's it, Rika?" Henry asked and turned around.

"I'm sorry because I'm the root of all this mess," Rika said, still could not get over for what happened. "If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't get dragged in this dilemma as well. Because of your love for me, Fumiko tried everything to get me away from you."

Henry looked at Rika in the eye and placed his hands on her waist.

"Rika, my love for you would always be here even if someone tried to break us and I didn't regret that I loved you. More than that, I really didn't regret marrying you. Even if it was the reverse of normal relationships, meaning getting married before falling in love… It's still okay," Henry said with a smile. "At least I now know who my true love is!"

Rika only smiled and placed her hands around Henry's neck.

"What about you?" Henry asked.

"Same goes for me but it's somehow ironic. I left you because I loved you but I concluded that leaving because of love was the funniest and silliest thing that's ever happened to me. My life went upside down because of that deal with you and it became even worse when I left you," Rika said with a smile. "You really made a big imprint on my life, you big dummy!"

Henry smiled then lowered his face to meet Rika's and touched her nose with his, giving her an Eskimo kiss. When they heard the door knock, they looked at the door.

"Hey, guys! Are you making out or on the home run already?" Takato shouted from the door.

"Not yet!" Henry chuckled.

"Henry!" Rika scolded playfully as they broke away from each other.

Henry immediately picked his and Rika's things up afterwards. "I'll make sure to accomplish those two on our honeymoon!" He smirked.

Rika only chuckled as she took her things as well. Then, they opened the door to see Takato and Jeri waiting for them outside.

"Let's go?" the brown-haired couple asked the married couple.

"Yeah, sure!" Henry and Rika answered in unison.

The foursome took an elevator and went downwards. They were in the lobby already but Takato separated from them in order to get his car and Jeri went to the reception area to clear for her friends. They saw Aimi who was meandering there.

"Ma'am Rika! Sir Henry!" she greeted them. "What brings you here?"

"Long story, Natsuke!" Rika chuckled. "How about you?"

"You won't believe what I'll tell you!" Aimi smirked. "Yuriko's knocked up and she dragged me to go to the hospital!"

"Wow!" Rika chuckled at what happened to her probable nemesis in the office. "Say congratulations to her for me!"

"I will!" Aimi said cheerfully. "I have to go! Bye! See you!"

"Bye!" Rika bid her goodbye.

When Aimi was out of sight, Jeri rejoined them.

"Who's that?" Jeri asked.

"My oh-so loyal teammate, Aimi Ishida Natsuke!" Rika answered with a grin. "Right, Henry?"

"Right, Honey!" Henry agreed.

Not long after, Takato arrived with his shiny white car. He let down the windows and signaled the three to come inside.

"Okay, Goggles!" Rika answered and went to the trunk to load their things while Henry was with her.

Henry placed their bags in the trunk and closed it. He and Rika went to the middle part of the car and sat there while Jeri sat beside Takato in the driver's seat.

"Let's go, guys!" Takato said and stepped on his gear and the foursome traveled around the city of Shinjuku.

While they were traveling, Henry's phone rang. He found that it was from the same car company where he bought the car that got damaged due to the accident.

"Hello?"

_"Hello, Mr. Wong! We understood that you lost your car in an accident so would you like to look for a new one?"_

"Why?"

_"The car's covered by insurance, Sir. Today still covers the time period. Besides, we can take care of it. All we need is your personal approval." _

"Okay! I'll look at it as soon as possible. Thank you!" Henry said and hung up.

When Henry hung up, Rika looked at him in curiosity.

"Henry, what's that?" she asked.

"The car company, Rika. The car we lost was covered by insurance so we're going to look for a new one," Henry explained.

"That's good news!" Rika remarked.

"I know. Takato, can we go to the car company soon? I need your help in choosing one!" Henry said.

"Yeah, sure, Henry!" Takato agreed.

Meanwhile, Henry's phone rang and he picked it up from his bag. He could see that it was an unknown number who was calling.

"Hello?"

_"Henry! It's Mrs. Satou…"_

Henry began to cringe at the last sentence.

"Yes, Ma'am? What is it?"

_"I forgot to tell you that Fumiko had been buried already."_

Henry felt goosebumps once again after hearing that.

"Where's she buried?"

_"Shinjuku Cemetery."_

"Okay. Thanks for informing us, Ma'am."

The caller had hung up before Henry could say another word. Henry also hung the phone and felt a bit anxious with what he heard. His hand began to search for Rika's hand and held it.

"What is it?" Rika asked him.

Henry eventually went to Rika's ear and whispered, "Rika, she's buried already in Shinjuku Cemetery."

Rika only nodded as a sign that he wanted to go there so they could be at peace with themselves.

"Okay," he said. "Takato, let's drop by Shinjuku Cemetery."

Takato relented and turned his gear to the second level and drove off.

* * *

After a few minutes of driving, the foursome arrived at the cemetery and the car slowly traversed inside it. As they circled the entire cemetery, they saw from the windows a black-haired woman with short hair wearing a white blouse and white skirt who was standing in one part. Takato eventually stopped his car while Rika and Henry went down.

"Mrs. Satou?" Henry said as they felt the green ground.

Mrs. Satou turned around and saw Henry and Rika. She ushered the two towards a part of the tomb of her daughter.

"Our condolences, Mrs. Satou. We're sorry…" Henry said as he shook the woman's hand.

"No, Henry. It's us who should be sorry. We are sorry for what Fumiko did to you. We already noticed that she was getting insane after she assaulted your wife so we had the plan to send her to the mental hospital…" Mrs. Satou said sadly. "We really didn't expect that would happen to her. We thought that Fumiko could still be cured."

Rika became pale as she saw the tomb of Fumiko. _I know we're not responsible for what happened to you but I feel I'm still the cause why you turned that way. Because Henry couldn't reciprocate the love you gave him, I'm really sorry and may you rest in peace._

"At least you two are fine now," Mrs. Satou replied wistfully. "Fumiko, may you rest already…"

The couple only looked at Fumiko's tomb solemnly and stood there for some time. Not long after, they decided to leave since they also had important things to do.

"We're going to leave now, Mrs. Satou… Please accept our deepest condolences…" Henry said and shook Mrs. Satou's hand.

Mrs. Satou nodded. With that, the couple turned their heels and walked away. They went inside Takato's car and sat there. Eventually, the car started its way out of the cemetery.


	23. Happily Married

**Author's Note: **Sorry if it's lame but that's how I want to end Chapter 23. Please read and review. Thanks! :D

* * *

**Chapter 23: Happily Married**

Two days after their homecoming, the Wong family returned to Japan and visited the young couple. At the same time, Rika's guardians also visited them. Since they were gathered once again, the young couple decided to spill everything that caused the entire mess.

"Mom, Dad?" Henry said.

"Yes, Henry?" Mr. Wong asked.

"We have something to tell you," Henry answered and held Rika's hand.

"What is it?" Mrs. Wong added.

Henry took a deep breath. "Guys, we're not really the couple you think after getting married. We just-"

Mr. Wong cut him off and smiled. "We know, Henry. We know from the start that you're not what we thought you were. You two just had a shotgun wedding."

"When we returned here last time, we're supposed to tell you that we found out your secret. But it turned out that we saw you two so sweet and feeding one another so we pretended that we didn't find out and we asked if when would you give us a grandchild," Mrs. Wong added and laughed. "We're sorry if we forced you but it looked like fate brought you together!"

The couple was extremely surprised with that.

"You're not mad at us?" Rika asked.

"We're not mad at you, guys." Mrs. Nonaka smiled.

"But lying is still bad!" Mr. Wong smirked.

"We're sorry," the couple said with guilt.

The Wongs and Rika's guardians looked at each other while Mrs. Nonaka had an idea. She whispered it to the three and they looked amiable to what she said.

"We would forgive your three-year-old lie on one condition." Grandma Seiko smiled after looking at the Wongs and Rumiko.

"What?" the young couple chorused.

"We're going to pay for the wedding." Mrs. Nonaka smiled.

"WHAT?!" the couple exclaimed.

"We're serious!" all of them replied as Mrs. Nonaka took a checkbook from her bag and started flipping its pages.

Henry and Rika looked at each other and back at the older folks with wide eyes.

"Are you really serious?" Rika asked.

"Do we look like we're joking?" Grandma Seiko teased. "Besides, this will be our wedding gift to you!"

Then the couple had a final look at each other and heaved sighs of relief.

"Well. Okay," both chorused in agreement.

* * *

A month later, it was the wedding day for the couple. Henry was taken by his parents to his former apartment so he could prepare himself for his wedding. Janyuu Wong chose the outfit that Henry would wear while Mayumi Wong took in charge of her other children as well.

"Happy anniversary, Son!" Mr. Wong said as Henry wore the black suit. Henry's black suit was composed of a black coat, white long-sleeved buttoned shirt and black slacks.

"Thanks, Dad!" Henry smiled as he fixed his black tie.

"Wow, Henry! You did a great job in getting married on your anniversary!" the thirty-one-year-old Rinchei Wong who was wearing a black coat, white long-sleeved buttoned shirt and black slacks chuckled.

His five-year-old daughter Ayako was wearing a white dress white short sleeves as well as white flat shoes while his wife Etsuko was wearing a purple V-neck dress that extended to her knees and a pair of black pumps which were given by Jaarin.

"Henry's really lucky since his wife is actually the model's daughter!" the twenty-nine-year-old Jaarin Wong Misaki remarked.

She was wearing a red long-sleeved dress that extended to her knees and a pair of red pumps. Her three-year-old son Ninigi was wearing a blue tuxedo. Her husband Kioshi was wearing also a black tuxedo.

"Oh big brother!" the twenty-one-year-old Suzie Wong exclaimed. "I'm so happy that Rika's my sister-in-law! She's so nice and pretty!"

"Hope that we'll see your litters soon, bro!" Rinchei jested as he was fixing his coat and tie.

Henry chuckled at that point. "What are we? Cats? Dogs?"

Mr. Wong approached Henry. "Your brother's right, Henry. It's about time we see your own children with Rika, right?" He winked.

"Yeah. We're looking forward to that, Dad!" Henry smiled.

Mrs. Wong hugged him. "Forget about your father. He's just kidding. Just enjoy your MARRIED AGAIN life with Rika, okay?!"

"Come on, Henry. Your bride must be waiting!" Mr. Wong said and patted Henry's back.

The Wongs eventually checked the house for open appliances but they found none. Jaarin took the keys and locked the house, letting Suzie go with her son Ninigi and Rinchei's daughter Ayako.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Nonaka residence, Rika was getting her makeover from a friend of her mother.

"Just make her look like Snow White, okay Aiko?" Mrs. Nonaka said while wearing a purple long-sleeved dress that extended to her knees and purple high heels.

"Mother!" Rika protested.

"I'll do my best, Rumiko. Your daughter will be the most beautiful bride you have ever seen!" Aiko assured while putting powder on Rika's fair face.

"Rika, please trust me on this one! It's your third wedding anniversary and wedding at the same time so you have to be beautiful for your groom!" Mrs. Nonaka pointed out. "A beautiful bride must go with a handsome groom, you know?"

"Okay," Rika said, surrendering to her mother's wishes.

"Your mom's right, Rika! It's your special day with Henry so you have to be beautiful today!" Jeri squealed while wearing her sleeveless V-neck maroon dress.

"It's a fairytale love story, don't you think Jeri?" Grandma Seiko asked pleasantly. She wore a green long-sleeved dress.

"More like an unusual fairytale! A girl gets married to a guy then falls in love and marries again to him!" Jeri chuckled. "How romantic!"

"Indeed it is!" Grandma Seiko winked. "A lovely young man and a nice young woman! Perfect combination, isn't it?"

"We agree with you!" Jeri and Mrs. Nonaka chuckled.

"Oh great…" Rika mumbled while her face was receiving white treatment from the stylist. Eventually, she got silenced because the stylist was focusing now on her lips.

"Where's Alice, by the way?" Grandma Seiko asked.

"She's going with Ryo, Grandma. Right after Henry and Rika, they're second to the most inseparable couples ever!" Jeri answered.

"What about Kazu and Kenta?" Grandma Seiko asked.

"Going alone but they'll go with Ryo and Alice!" Jeri answered.

"Still got no dates?" Grandma Seiko asked.

"Yeah!" Jeri chuckled. "Totally!"

Not long after, Aiko stopped what she was doing and squealed.

"Voila! I'm done!" she said and moved backwards to show Rika.

Mrs. Nonaka, Grandma Seiko and Jeri looked at Rika's current appearance.

"Oh my gosh!" Mrs. Nonaka exclaimed.

Rika was stunningly beautiful because of her face that was covered with makeup. Her cheeks were rosy because of the blush-on and her eyelids were covered with lavender eye shadow while her long eyelashes had been tainted with black mascara. Her soft and pink lips turned into a deep shade of rosy red and her hair was divided into two: the first half was tied into a bun while the other was down.

"You're so beautiful, Rika!" Jeri squealed.

"I could say the same, dear!" Grandma Seiko smiled.

"Really?" Rika asked.

"Definitely!" the three women chorused.

"Alright, Rumiko! I did it again!" Aiko smirked.

"Yes, you did, Aiko!" Rumiko chuckled. "Rika, you can wear your wedding dress now!"

Jeri brought out the wedding dress and gave it to Rika as she stood from her sitting position. Rika gladly took it from her and went to the bathroom as quickly as she could and she removed her white robe and her blue sleeveless tank top and shorts. Eventually, Rika carefully slid her arms into the holes of the dress and positioned herself near the door so the back could be zipped up but she could not do so alone.

Rika knocked from the door and indicated that it was a signal that she needed assistance. Then, Jeri went inside the bathroom so she could assist Rika.

"Why did you knock?" Jeri asked.

"I need the back to be zipped," Rika said.

Jeri's right hand carefully zipped the dress up. Now that she is properly dressed, Rika slid her feet into her silver high-heeled shoes.

"Perfect!" Mrs. Nonaka said in delight.

Grandma Seiko smiled. "I could say the same to you, Rika! But we have to go since the car's already here."

Rika stood elegantly while Mrs. Nonaka gave her the bouquet.

"Wow! Cherry blossoms!" Rika said in amusement.

"Jeri said you liked them so I made it for you!" Mrs. Nonaka said.

As she examined herself, Rika felt something was wrong.

"Rika?" Mrs. Nonaka said. "Just be yourself! Are you regretting that you decided to settle for good now?" Mrs. Nonaka exclaimed.

"No, Mom! I just wanted to ask… if I look okay," Rika said sheepishly.

"Rika, you're beautiful and every woman wants to have your position as Henry's wife like the woman who wanted you out, right?" Mrs. Nonaka assured. "You're beautiful and that's all we can say, right girls?"

"Right!" Grandma Seiko and Jeri chorused.

"So, can I have my last hug before you say _I do_?" Mrs. Nonaka asked.

"Sure you can, Mom!" Rika said, placing the bouquet on the nearest table.

Mrs. Nonaka hugged her and she was joined by Grandma Seiko. Jeri smiled as she saw the three generations hugging each other.

"Let's not get too emotional today. Besides, the car's already here!" Grandma Seiko answered with a chuckle.

Rika nodded and they went downstairs. Jeri checked for plugged appliances and reported none so all of them safely got outside the Nonaka residence.

"Let's go!" Mrs. Nonaka said as she let Rika inside after Grandma Seiko. Jeri rode inside at the front next to the driver's seat.

With that, the bridal car started and finally left the Nonaka residence. It started its journey towards the church.

* * *

Meanwhile, Henry was inside the grey car with his family while the car was moving at the sun-soaked city of Shinjuku. His mind wandered somewhere and he suddenly remembered something. He remembered the day the two of them did the set-up.

**FLASHBACK:**

Three years ago, Henry and Rika were studying in the school bench of University of Tokyo. They were college seniors at that time.

"Rika?" Henry asked.

"Hmm?" Rika asked while writing some notes.

"Do you want to get married someday?" Henry asked.

"Of course. But I'll marry the guy who accepts me, understands me and best of all, loves me for who I am. Why?" Rika answered.

Henry scratched his head and smiled goofily.

"Why?" Rika asked, surprised.

"Well…" Henry paused because he was unable to find the words to say to Rika.

"Come on, Henry! I don't have all day!" Rika snorted in order to persuade him into saying what he wanted to say.

"I was wondering if you'd like to marry me," Henry finally said.

Rika's eyes went wide as plates. "Are you sure about that?" she asked.

"Well, I am serious," Henry replied.

"Henry, I think school caused your brain to rust!" Rika replied half-heartedly. "Really. What's that supposed to mean?"

"I want to marry you. That's final," Henry answered simply.

"Henry, you can't marry me! I'm just your friend!" Rika pointed out. "Marry someone that you love so you won't have regrets in the future!"

"I don't have a girlfriend, remember?" Henry countered back, smiling.

"So that's the reason you picked me, wasn't it?" Rika asked slyly.

"Yes," Henry answered. "There's also another."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rika asked.

"If I told you the reason behind this sudden asking of mine, would you understand that?"

"I will if you tell me," Rika said so he could start.

"My maternal grandfather used to own a printing business. When he died, it was given to my mother. It was the source of our money and eventually it was used to pay for everything starting from Rinchei until Suzie. It was heavily utilized," Henry explained.

"So, what does it have to do with your dilemma?" Rika asked with interest.

"The bank account became a sizable one after my siblings married. But they had a hard time finding someone to manage it properly. Rinchei went somewhere else in Osaka while Jaarin lived in Kyoto and Suzie was still in high school so it left me as their candidate to manage it. I really need the money for my expenses here in school. Unfortunately, in order for me to acquire it fully, I should get married first whether I'm still studying or not."

Rika became speechless after hearing the last sentence.

"And what will happen if you don't get married?" Rika inquired.

"The entire money will be given to charity. I don't even want to be a charity scholar," Henry replied.

Rika nodded. Henry took this as a sign that she understood what he said.

"Now you see why I need to get married?" Henry asked.

"You're right. But why me? You can pick any other girl because you're handsome!" Rika pointed out.

"I don't want any other girl. At least when I'm with you, I'm happy and free," Henry answered.

"What would be the benefit if I MARRIED you?" Rika asked, emphasizing the "married" with her first two fingers.

"You won't have problems with the expenses anymore, Rika," Henry said. "So are you in or out?"

Rika thought for a moment. "What about our parents?" she asked.

"Don't worry about it, Rika. We can manage that. Right now, I need your yes," Henry said.

Rika let out a sigh. "Well, I guess I need that since Mom's no longer modeling anyway. Yes, Henry Wong. I will marry you. A deal's a deal, okay?"

"You got it!" Henry said, smiling at her.

**END OF FLASHBACK**

_I still remember that day. _Henry thought. _At least this wedding's no longer a deal, but now a product of our love for each other!_

Not long after, Henry and his family arrived in the church so the car pulled to a stop. When Henry alighted, he found Takato and his friends Kazu, Kenta and Ryo as well as Alice there. Aside from them, he found the guests from his office, his relatives, Rika's relatives and more important people.

"Looking sharp, Henry!" Takato commented.

"Yeah, Henry! Looking sharp!" Kazu and Kenta agreed.

"Thanks, Takato, Kazu and Kenta!" Henry said, puffing for a while.

"Nervous?" Ryo asked Henry.

"Nope." Henry chuckled. "But I can't wait to see her. It's our wedding anniversary today."

"My greetings, Henry!" Ryo said and offered to shake his hand.

"Thanks, Ryo!" Henry answered with a smile and shook Ryo's hand.

Not long after, Takuya, JP, Koichi, Koji, Tommy and Zoe arrived. The young men were wearing black suits while Zoe wore her violet long-sleeved dress.

"Hey, guys!" Takuya greeted.

"Hey, Alice!" Zoe smiled.

"Zoe!" Alice acknowledged. "Anyway, can you hang on for a sec? I've got something to do!"

"Okay!" the Italian blonde spoke up. "Anyway, where's Jeri?"

"She's with the bride," Takato spoke up.

"Ooh la la!" Zoe said randomly.

* * *

Meanwhile, Rika and her family arrived at the church. Mrs. Nonaka and Grandma Seiko were at the back part of the bridal car with Rika while Jeri was near the driver's seat.

"I'll call Alice so I can inform her that we arrived already!" Jeri said and dialed Alice's number.

"Okay…" Rika mumbled. "Just tell me if I should go out now."

Jeri was holding the phone near her ear. When she heard a click from the other line, she instantly spoke up.

"Hey, Alice!"

_"Yes, Jeri?"_

"The bride's here! Can we go in?!"

_"Okay. I'll position these dufuses so we can start this whole show!"_

Jeri stifled a laugh with what Alice said. "Whatever, Alice! I'll send over the bride!"

_"Okay. See you! Bye!"_

"Bye!" Jeri said and hung up.

"So what did Alice say?" Grandma Seiko asked.

"Let's go there!" Jeri said and placed her phone in the bag.

Rika's guardians went out of the car and Rika followed suit. When she got out, Rika tried her best to collect herself for this important day.

_Okay, Rika. An hour later you'll be officially and truly Mrs. Henry Wong!_ Rika thought as she tried to calm herself due to the number of the wedding guests.

Inside the church, the church was heavily decorated. The white balloons stood at the entrance of the church while forming an arch. There was a white decorative cloth hanging at the ceiling and there were white flowers placed near the pews. Alice ushered the guests since Jeri told her that Rika was already here. She helped the guests in the pews and returned to the front part of the church.

"Okay, Rika! You can march in now!" Alice said to Rika and went to the front part of the church.

Rika walked inside the church and the guests were already looking at her. She was also carrying the bouquet that was filled with cherry blossoms while walking on the red carpet and towards the altar.

From afar, Henry was standing and he could see his bride and wife walking towards him. He was happy now that both of them were getting married on their third wedding anniversary.

_After all the things that happened, she really became more beautiful than ever, _Henry thought with a smile.

"There's your wife, dude!" Takato, who was in Henry's left side, nudged him. "I mean your bride!"

"I know!" Henry grinned.

"You indeed got yourself the woman, Henry!" Ryo grinned while standing in Henry's right side.

While she was walking, Rika could see that Henry looked more handsome today with his black suit and his midnight blue hair was laid to the side. Eventually, she arrived at the altar with a smile upon seeing Henry.

"You look wonderful today, Rika," he whispered into her ear as he offered his left arm to her.

"Thank you!" she whispered back and put her right arm in Henry's.

The two walked to where the priest was with Henry standing on the right while Rika on the left.

"Dearly beloved, we gather here today the bind these two individuals in marriage once again: Henry Wong and Rika Nonaka. I knew these two had been married civilly and everything was fine for them."

The entire congregation witnessed the wedding ceremony as the priest continued his litany. At this point, Henry and Rika were facing each other and joined hands.

"Do you, Henry Wong, take Rika Nonaka to be your lawfully wedded wife?" the priest asked Henry.

"Yes, I do," Henry answered and smiled at Rika.

"Do you, Rika Nonaka, take Henry Wong to be your lawfully wedded husband?" the priest asked Rika.

"Yes, I do," Rika answered and smiled at Henry.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife!" the priest declared. "You may now kiss the bride."

Henry moved towards Rika and gently pressed his lips onto hers, urging Rika to kiss him back. Rika's lips brushed against his and kissed him as well. They had the urge to part because the audience was already giving them a big round of applause but Henry continued kissing Rika while Rika did not mind. When they broke apart, Henry immediately hugged Rika while she returned the hug.

"Happy third anniversary, Rika!" he whispered.

"Happy third anniversary, Henry!" she replied back.

When they had let go from each other's grasp, Henry and Rika turned to face the audience who was happy for the two of them already and they smiled at them.

Janyuu and Mayumi Wong stood just a pew away from the married couple. Mr. Wong placed his arm around Mrs. Wong.

"Our son's all grown up and married once again!" Mrs. Wong said to Mr. Wong.

"I know, Mayumi. It'll be years and it's Suzie's turn to walk the aisle once again!" Mr. Wong replied.

Rika's guardians stood at the opposite side where the Wongs stood.

"My baby girl's all grown up! At least she got legally married at twenty-five, rather than getting married at twenty!" Mrs. Nonaka said while wiping tears of joy from her eyes.

"I know, Rumiko! She'll be living a life of her own with her new family," Grandma Seiko said and patted her daughter's back.

"I really wish them well, Mom!" Mrs. Nonaka said. "I knew it from the start that they seem to be compatible with each other."

At the third row, Henry and Rika's tamer friends were happy for the newly married couple. Their college friends also sat with them.

"Way to go, Henry!" Kazu, Kenta, Takato and Ryo exclaimed while Takuya, Koji, JP, Koichi and Tommy applauded for them.

"Yeah, Rika!" Alice, Zoe and Jeri called out.

Right after where the tamers were sitting stood Rika's teammates who were already clapping loudly while Miss Matsumoto joined with them.

"Yay, Ma'am Rika!" Aimi, Noriko and Sakura cheered.

Kenshin and Masato only had smiles for their bosses. At least they had fully accepted the fact that Rika was already married and that was why she did not answer yes to the two of them.

"Where can we find a girl like Rika?" Kenshin wondered.

"Yeah. She's one of a kind!" Masato remarked.

The newly married couple arm-in-arm walked from the altar and they were making their way towards the door. All of the guests were cheering for them.

"I can't believe so many people attended our wedding!" Rika said to Henry while walking arm-in-arm.

"It's our parents' fault. They shouldered the expenses and invited some people we didn't even know!" Henry chuckled.

"Basically, it's our fault. They did this in order to forgive us!" Rika answered with a grin.

"Well then… They did a pretty good job!" Henry laughed.

While they were walking, they saw Aimi, Sakura, Noriko and Miss Matsumoto along with Kenshin and Masato near the door.

"Congratulations, Ma'am and Sir!" they chorused.

"Thank you!" the newly married couple said in unison.

"So this is it! I'm going to call you Ma'am like them as well!" Aimi said and waved her hand towards Rika. "Best wishes!"

"Thanks, Aimi!" Rika replied.

The couple had gotten outside the church and found their white bridal car. Henry opened the door for Rika and he had let her inside.

"Thanks, Mr. Wong!" Rika smirked.

"You're always welcome, Mrs. Wong!" Henry grinned and he sat beside her.

When the couple had finally settled inside the car, they gave the driver the signal to leave the church.

"To the Royal Hotel in Shinjuku!" Henry said to the driver. "Thanks!"

The driver relented and started driving, leaving the couple to savor their newly married moments with each other. Henry held again Rika's right hand while the car was moving.

"Henry, one last question…" Rika said, looking at Henry.

"What is it, Rika?" Henry asked.

"What could've happened if we didn't meet at the office?" Rika asked seriously.

"Most probably I'll continue my search for you," Henry replied.

"Really? You were already finding me that time?" Rika replied, quite surprised with what she heard.

"Yes," Henry said, looking into her violet eyes. "I swore to myself that I'd find the love of my life and tell her that I love her. Now that I've found her, I'm extremely happy. Thank you for making me happy on this day, Rika. You're my first, my last and my true love."

"Thank you, Henry, for loving me," Rika answered and kissed him in the left cheek.

"Only here?" Henry said in pretend sulking while pointing his left cheek with his left index finger.

"You'll have it later, okay?" Rika assured. "I'm all yours, Honey!"

"Forever you and I…" Henry said as he kissed her on the right temple and he placed his arm around her.

* * *

When the car arrived at the hotel, the couple alighted from the car and walked inside the hotel lobby so they could go to the ballroom.

"Jeri knew about the Royal Hotel because she dropped me here when I attended your banquet last time," Rika explained as she and Henry walked together.

"I see…" Henry said and extended his arm for Rika. "I think they're waiting for us so shall we?"

"Right!" Rika said as she placed her hand on Henry's arm.

The couple walked together to the ballroom. A white cloth hung in the ceiling and the white balloons stood at the entrance while forming an arch. They saw that their friends and families already arrived there. Even their guests from the office were also there so they marched in formally with Rika's hand on Henry's arm while music was playing.

"Congratulations to the newlyweds!" Ryo declared and the others agreed. Others started throwing confetti around them.

"Thanks, guys!" Henry said.

"I'm gonna check on my teammates, Henry! I'll be back!" Rika said as they broke from each other.

"Okay!" Henry said while he went to talk to his friends.

Rika was walking when she saw Aimi as well with her teammates Sakura.

"Rika! Is that the Legendary Digimon King Ryo Akiyama?" Aimi squealed, almost pointing to Ryo.

"Yep! In the flesh, Natsuke!" Rika answered and pointed to Ryo who was standing beside Alice.

"You didn't even tell us that your mom's the famous model Rumiko Nonaka!" Sakura added.

"You never asked me that, girls!" Rika sneered.

As fate would let it, Mrs. Nonaka and Grandma Seiko passed along Rika.

"Rika! I've been looking for you!" Mrs. Nonaka said.

"Sorry, Mom! I was just around with Henry," Rika answered. "Anyway, my teammates wanted to have a picture with you. Would you mind, Mom?"

"Sure, Sweetie!" Mrs. Nonaka replied, smiling.

Rika offered to take a picture using Aimi's black camera. Aimi, Miss Matsumoto, Sakura and Noriko went beside Mrs. Nonaka as Rika took their picture.

"Your turn, Ma'am Wong!" Aimi chuckled.

Rika switched places with her mother and now, she was having a picture with her teammates. Mrs. Nonaka took their picture.

"There!" Mrs. Nonaka said as the camera flashed.

"Thanks, Miss Rumiko!" Aimi chuckled. "Thank you, Mrs. Wong!"

Rika smiled. "You girls enjoy yourselves! I'll go and see my husband now."

"Congratulations, Ma'am!" the teammates and the supervisor greeted.

"Thanks!" Rika said and walked away as the teammates went off to another direction.

Not long after, Jeri announced that the party would start. With that, Rika went to find Henry and eventually saw him sitting alone.

"Sorry if I left you alone. I saw Aimi and she's still in a state of being paparazzi towards my mom," Rika said apologetically.

"It's okay." Henry winked. "Later I'll have you to myself."

Rika chuckled and eventually sat down beside Henry whose arm went to her back.

"This day turned out to be the best for me," Henry said. "Don't you agree?"

"I agree," Rika answered. "It's unexpectedly amazing."

At that time, the ballroom began playing "Sway". All couples went to the center to dance which reminded Rika that she was going to dance with her husband. She saw Takato and Jeri taking the opportunity of dancing to make out.

"Make out or dance?" Henry grinned, apparently reading Rika's thoughts.

"Both?!" Rika answered and laughed. "Ten minutes dance and the entire night to make out!"

With this, she looked at him and he also looked at her.

"So, care to dance with your husband, Mrs. Henry Wong?" Henry grinned as he offered his left hand to her.

"Sure. Why not?" Rika returned the grin and accepted his left hand. "I'd love to!"

"Glad to know!" Henry chuckled while Rika held his hand. "It would be unfair if the newlyweds were just sitting around and watching, you know?"

"I know, Henry. It would be unfair if the groom didn't show his signature dance moves!" Rika winked.

The couple walked hand-in-hand towards the center. When they found a spot, Henry faced Rika while his hands slowly traveled to her waist and eventually settled there. Rika placed her hands around Henry's neck.

_~ Say you'll stay_  
_Don't come and go_  
_Like you do_  
_Sway my way_  
_Yeah I need to know_  
_All about you ~_

"Did I tell you that I love you very much?" Rika asked.

"You may not say it but I know that you always do," Henry replied with a grin.

"Why are you always reading my thoughts?" Rika asked with an impish grin.

"I don't read them. I know them by heart." Henry winked.

"Really?" Rika asked, awestruck by his revelation.

Henry nodded. "Rika, I have something to confess."

"What is it?" Rika said in interest.

"When I thought you'd die during the accident because you wouldn't wake up, I once said in my mind… _Even if we don't have kids, at least I still have you_…"

"Why?" Rika asked as she swayed to the tune of the song.

"I only had that thinking because you alone were enough for me, Rika Nonaka Wong," Henry answered with a smile. "Happy third anniversary!"

"Happy third anniversary!" Rika returned.

"Don't I have an anniversary gift from my wife today?" Henry smirked.

"In the future, okay?" Rika giggled. "Let's just dance, Henry."

With this, Henry lowered his smiling face to meet Rika's and touched her nose with his, giving her an Eskimo kiss once again. Rika blushed at this move and began to giggle. Not wanting to turn the giggle into solid laughter, Henry instantly pressed his lips on Rika's and the two shared a passionate and sweet kiss.


	24. Epilogue

**Author's Note: **Thanks for the reviews, follows, favorite in this story. I'm sorry if it has to end but this one is just a pinch of the sequel. But I'm telling already ahead that the sequel won't be going to be as long as this one.

Thanks to those who followed the story until its very end. You really inspired me while I was writing this. And to the people that I inspired because of this story, I still want to thank them because at least I helped them in a way. :D

* * *

**Chapter 24: Epilogue**

Five years later, the thirty-year-old Rika Nonaka Wong was seen to be driving a sleek black convertible along the busy road as she was heading towards Tokyo Corporation where she used to work almost seven years ago. She came from a conference which was held at the eastern part of the city of Shinjuku because Henry sent her there as his proxy.

While driving, she was wearing her red blouse that extended to her elbows and black skirt with her black pumps. She was not afraid to use high-heeled shoes while driving because she got used to doing that whenever she and Henry drove to different places in Shinjuku.

_In span of five years, my life definitely changed, _she thought as her hand was on the steering wheel. _But I'm still me. Rika Nonaka Wong version two point zero. _

While driving around the busy highway, Rika heard her phone ring and she picked it up. This was what she saw on the screen: _"Calling Henry Wong…"_

Since she did not want to prolong the call, Rika instantly picked the phone up from the dashboard.

"Hello?" Rika asked with her left hand on the steering wheel while her right was on her phone.

_"Hey, Honey," _Henry said from the other line.

"Hmm. Looks like the tone of your voice doesn't indicate urgency, huh?" Rika jested.

_"Not at all. I really wanted to see you. Where are you anyway?" _Henry asked with a hint of longing in his voice.

"I just came from the conference downtown and I'm sort of driving around. But gosh! They're so insistent in buying our answers!" Rika answered with an annoyance evident in her voice.

_"Give that to me and I'll see what I can do. I don't want to put you into much pressure," _Henry assured.

"Pressure? That's ridiculous!" Rika chuckled. "I'm just really surprised with the way they want it immediately."

_"Okay. At least, I know what's going to happen then!" _Henry added. _"Thanks, Rika!"_

"You're welcome! By the way… I'm on my way to Tokyo Cor," Rika explained.

_"Perfect. Maybe I could lay the plans out once you get here. Anyway I'm free tonight, what do you say?" _

"If you're free tonight then I'm not free! Besides, we don't have a babysitter, you know?" Rika said with her joking tone.

_"I know. What I mean is that I can go home before seven!" _Henry kidded.

"I thought you're up to something else!" Rika chuckled. "But, I have to go. I'm still driving. See you at the office, Honey! I love you!"

_"I love you more, Honey. Take care! Bye!" _Henry chuckled from the other line.

Rika had hung up the phone with a smile on her face because of the thought that she would see her husband once again. She continued driving and going through the busy streets of Shinjuku so she could get to the office as immediately as possible.

_Being the wife of the CEO is bad already! _Rika thought as she also remembered why she got sent to the conference earlier. _I don't want to repeat the time I replaced Henry for a week because he got down with a flu!_

Not long after, Rika arrived at the office and pulled the car to a stop. After what happened to her and Henry five years ago, Henry told her to always watch her step and keep her senses up for suspicious persons. When she examined the surroundings, she deduced that it was safe to alight and eventually, she parked her car in front of the building since she was not going to stay for long.

"Good afternoon, Ma'am Rika!" the employees greeted as she passed by them in the lobby.

"Good afternoon!" she returned the greeting with the fake smile as usual.

Rika arrived at the elevators but all of them were not yet reaching the ground floor. She saw her former teammate Aimi Natsuke who just got out from a nearest room.

"Hey, Aimi!" Rika greeted.

"Rika!" Aimi squealed. "I mean, Ma'am Rika!"

Aimi looked at Rika from head to toe. She was still amazed with her friend's slender and sexy figure even if motherhood came to her already.

"Gosh, Ma'am! You look awesome!" Aimi exclaimed. "Are you into modeling now?"

"If I'm modeling then I won't have time for my baby, you know?" Rika pointed out.

"Oh right! How's my goddaughter, by the way?" Aimi asked.

Rika's daughter had Aimi as godmother. The auburn-haired woman kept her promise to Aimi.

"She's fine and she's with her grandma today because your boss tasked me to go to a conference somewhere out there in the East," Rika explained. "Well, who am I to refuse the job if I'm even the owner…"

"Wow! Sir's really lucky!" Aimi said in awe.

"I have to do it because we've got a little one who's depending on us," Rika said simply.

"Why don't you bring her to the office one time, Ma'am?" Aimi asked with thrill.

"Maybe I can," Rika said with a smile. "For now, I really need to report to your Sir."

Aimi chuckled because she saw her lady boss doing the same thing she did five years ago.

"Well, Ma'am Rika! I've got to go now! Say hi to Sir for me!" Aimi snickered. "And to your baby as well!"

"Sure!" Rika said as an empty elevator opened in front of her.

_Ma'am Rika once again, _Rika thought as she went inside the empty elevator and pressed "five".

Because she saw Aimi once again, Rika remembered the old times when she worked in the company as a finance analyst and a narrative report creator. Now, she was the wife of the president and she was the owner as well. Unfortunately, she could not work for longer times since she was also a mother now. It just happened that Henry was too busy to attend to a conference so the call was shifted to her.

_Ding! _

_Wow! The elevator had an even louder sound! _Rika thought and the sound signaled the elevator to open. _Improving!_

When it opened, she immediately went outside and walked inside Henry's territory. She noticed that all of the employees in the territory were out except for the receptionist, the bubbly Mika Arashi who was dating Kenshin Jyun, Rika's former suitor in the office.

"Hi, Mika! Where's Henry?" Rika asked cheerfully.

"He's inside the room, Ma'am Rika!" Mika answered and noticed Rika's slender and beautiful figure. "Gosh, Ma'am! You're blooming!"

"Thanks, Mika!" Rika chuckled.

Rika went inside the door and found her husband who just finished a phone call. When he saw Rika that got inside, Henry looked delighted upon seeing his wife.

"Hey, Mrs. Wong!" Henry grinned. "Looking good, huh?"

"I know." Rika chuckled and gave Henry a quick hug.

"Always my good-looking wife." Henry grinned after he hugged her back.

When they broke apart from each other, Rika eventually looked in her bag for the letter she obtained when she attended the conference earlier.

"Well, Henry, this will be the last, okay?" she asked as she gave it to Henry. "Baby can't be left alone for long, you know!"

"It's baby again. I'm getting jealous because your attention's on her and not me!" Henry said as he accepted the paper and placed it on his desk while making a face playfully.

"Henry! Don't be jealous!" Rika smiled and kissed his left cheek.

"Why won't I get jealous if your mind's always on her?" Henry asked jokingly as Rika pulled away from him.

"Henry, don't worry about it!" Rika assured. "You're still my other baby, you know? Only bigger!"

"Alright. I'm convinced." Henry smiled.

"And mind you, Henry! You're the one who's always stealing the baby from me!" Rika chuckled. "Every time I get her, she's always looking for you!"

"Well, Rika… That's life!" Henry winked. "And it shows that even if I'm busy, I can spend time with our baby as well."

"Well I admire you for it," Rika said with a laugh and sat on the visitor's chair. "Where are your minions, by the way?"

"They're having a team building at fourth floor. But I'm glad they're not here!" Henry explained. "Anyway, I can escape already. I don't have other jobs to do!"

"You sure, Mr. Wong?" Rika asked.

"Of course, Mrs. Wong!" Henry assured.

Rika handed him the keys as Henry caught it. He dusted his black corporate attire and took his black suitcase with him.

"Shall we, Mrs. Wong?" Henry asked, offering his arm to Rika so they could go out.

Rika only smiled and slid her arm in Henry's. They happily walked arm-in-arm towards the lobby so they could get to an elevator.

* * *

The next day, Rika was sitting on a red cloth while her arms were holding her legs. She was under a large and leafy tree in Shinjuku Park. Because the sun was shining high in the afternoon sky, she moved to a place under the tree wherein there was shade and felt the cool breeze touch her fair skin.

"At least it isn't really hot unlike yesterday…" Rika mused as she looked at the green scenery in front of her and dusted her white shirt that had a blue heart in the middle and her pair of blue jean shorts.

_I remember that this was the park where I met him eighteen years ago. How time flew and I indeed changed a lot, _Rika thought as she returned to her sitting position.

Her violet eyes also saw the pink cherry blossoms that abound the entire park. It was ironic because she liked them yet she hated things which were pink in color.

_A coldhearted girl can become a good person after all and it's all because of him. He really brought out the best in me._

Rika closed her eyes and felt the cool breeze blow towards her face once again. She smiled as she finally felt peace and tranquility with her family.

_After all that happened to us, I realized that everything would be fine if you face all the problems together! _she thought while closing her violet eyes. _But, Jeri. How I wished that you and Takato talked it out rather than leaving things hanging._

Suddenly, Rika's thoughts were interrupted when someone hugged her from her right side.

"Miyako!" Rika smiled as she saw her four-year-old daughter.

Miyako had blue hair that extended to her shoulders and violet eyes. She also had fair complexion and got the way how her father smiled. In other words, Miyako inherited her parents' traits equally.

"Mommy!" Miyako went beside Rika and hugged Rika happily. She was wearing her blue jumper and pink shirt as well as white rubber shoes.

Rika hugged her daughter tightly. She remembered that she almost lost her child during her pregnancy but she was fortunate that the baby bound to her strongly. But now, a bouncing and sweet little girl was the one she was seeing today. When she broke away from her daughter, she smiled at her while brushing the little girl's blue hair affectionately.

"Are you okay, Mommy?" Miyako asked her, noticing her mother's languid face. "You look sad."

"No, Baby! I'm not sad!" Rika protested and laughed because the way Miyako asked her reminded her of Henry's way of asking her. "I just remembered the days when Mommy was younger."

"Were you cute when you were like me, Mommy?" Miyako asked with an innocent smile.

"I don't know! Ask your grandmother, Baby!" Rika chuckled and kissed her daughter's cheek. "But definitely, I don't have blue hair!"

"Okay! Look, Mommy!" Miyako exclaimed and showed the pink cotton candy that she was holding for some time in her right hand.

"Wow! Looks yummy!" Rika replied sweetly. "Can I have a piece?"

"Sure, Mommy!" Miyako took a piece and spoon-fed her mother. "Mommy, say AH!"

"Ah!" Rika said as Miyako placed the cotton candy inside her mouth. "Mmm!"

"Daddy says he always buys you with this when you were still kids!" Miyako spoke while eating the cotton candy.

Rika laughed because of what Miyako said. Henry always bought her cotton candy when they were still young._  
_

"Don't talk when your mouth is full, Baby! That's a bad manner!" Rika said with her tone gently disciplining her daughter because Miyako was already eating with her mouth full.

Suddenly, a blue-haired man wearing a black shirt and brown cargo pants placed his arm around her shoulder and sat beside her.

"Don't scold your daughter, Rika," he said with a smile.

"Henry! No wonder that's the reason why she's getting spoiled!" Rika exclaimed in amusement.

Henry laughed at his wife because of her reactions towards him.

"Just finish what you're eating, Miyako, okay?" Rika said gently.

"Okay, Mommy and Daddy!" Miyako said obediently and ate the cotton candy in her hand while she watched her parents sitting together.

Henry only smiled and held Rika only in the right hand since their daughter was watching them in joy.

"Henry," Rika said teasingly. "Your daughter's really watching us!"

"It's OUR daughter, not mine only, Rika." Henry smirked. "Come here, Miyako!"

"Daddy!" Miyako said joyfully while throwing her hands towards Henry.

"What do you wanna do now, Baby?" Henry asked her and held her.

"Let's play!" Miyako answered. "Please? Please?"

Henry only looked at Rika and grinned at her, leaving Rika to smirk at him because of his goofy grin.

"Go ahead, guys! I'll be here!" Rika assured and gave her thumb-up.

"Okay, Baby!" Henry replied and looked at Miyako. "Mommy says that it's okay to play!"

"Yaaaaaaaay!" the little girl cried in delight. "Come on, Daddy!"

Then, Henry and Miyako began running around the park, leaving Rika to watch them with contentment.

_My father-daughter never changes! _Rika thought with a smile. _Maybe because they got the same color of hair so that's why they easily bonded with each other. _

**FLASHBACK:**

Four years ago in the hospital, Rika was at the bed while holding her sleeping baby girl and Henry was looking at his mother and daughter pair with love.

"Can I carry her again?" he asked.

"Sure!" Rika answered softly. "Careful, Henry."

Then, she handed to Henry their daughter carefully and tenderly as she could. Henry took the baby into his arms and smiled contentedly at her.

"Rika…" he mumbled to Rika softly.

"Yes?" Rika replied, looking at Henry.

"Thank you," he answered.

"For what?" Rika said with her left eyebrow raised.

"Thank you for giving life to this beautiful thing. Thank you for giving her to me as our daughter," Henry said while rocking the baby gently with his two arms.

Rika smiled as she saw Henry rocking the little baby. "No, Henry. If it wasn't for you, she wouldn't be here. But we nearly lost her and I was afraid because of that."

After holding it for some time, Henry returned the baby carefully to Rika and smiled at her.

"It doesn't matter now, Rika. She's already here and we're blessed to have her," He assured.

**END OF FLASHBACK**

_And until now, Henry's so happy because of our baby! _Rika thought with a chuckle. _Even if she's now four years old, she'll always be our precious baby girl. _

Laughter and merriment coming from the father and daughter pair distracted Rika from reflecting. When she looked to where the sound came from, she saw that Henry and Miyako were running like mad.

_I'm envious! _Rika thought as she watched her loved ones._ If it wasn't for the things here, I could have joined them!_

"Miyako!" Rika heard Henry call their daughter. "I got you!"

"Mommy! Daddy's chasing me! I'm getting tired!" the girl said while giggling and running.

Miyako slowed down and eventually reached Rika's spot while resting herself. Henry went also to Rika's direction and stopped. The father and daughter were totally tired from all the running.

"Oh! Here you go, baby!" Rika said to her daughter and gave a bottle of water so Miyako could drink. "What about you, Honey?"

"Sure!" Henry answered while sweating profusely. He wiped his face with a face towel.

Eventually, Rika gave him a cup with cold water so he could drink.

"Thanks, Rika!" Henry answered and sat with Rika.

"Sure!" Rika smiled reassuringly.

After drinking from the bottle, Miyako stood for a moment and walked away. Rika eventually sat on the original spot where she was earlier.

"Miyako?" Rika called her daughter. "Where are you going?"

"I'm just going to see the flowers, Mommy!" Miyako said. "I'm not going to run because I'm tired!"

"Don't go far, okay?" Rika called out.

"Okay!" Miyako replied as she walked away.

While they were resting, the blue-haired man sat beside his auburn-haired wife as their daughter walked just meters away from them.

"Kids nowadays are always the adventurous type!" Rika mused.

"She got it from you," Henry replied as he kissed Rika's cheek once again.

"Fine. I guess I really created a mini version of myself," Rika replied in amusement as she saw Miyako meandering around.

"Yes. I have to agree with that. She looks exactly like you," Henry agreed. "Beautiful."

"Don't pull my leg, Henry Wong!" Rika protested but deep inside, she was already turning red.

"I'm not! You're really beautiful!" Henry replied good-naturedly.

Rika's cheeks did not stop from blushing and this amused Henry so much.

"Anyway, Rika, do you still remember this park?" he asked her.

"Yes. Is this the park where we first met? Around eighteen years ago?" Rika chuckled while pretending to make sure that her answer was correct.

"Correct! I even thought that you'd answer this as the park that had the cherry blossoms five years ago." Henry winked.

"Very funny, Wong!" Rika said playfully.

"Remember that you're also a Wong, Rika!" Henry grinned.

"Of course!" Rika agreed.

"But could you believe this all happened so fast?"

"I know, Henry. It seemed like yesterday when you found me at the office because I brought some important documents to you… and now, we have a little girl!" Rika stated while they saw their daughter meandering around the park.

"I'm happy because everything turned out the way they are supposed to be, Ri!" Henry smiled. "We got falsely married, argued, dated, married again and had a child."

"Yes, I know." Rika returned the smile. "I couldn't ask for more!"

"Glad to know!" Henry replied good-naturedly.

With that, Henry instantly remembered something and looked at Rika with love. Their eyes seemed to be speaking for each other until Henry smiled at Rika.

"Happy wedding anniversary, Sweetheart!" he greeted and followed it with a kiss on her forehead. "It's been five years!"

"Technically… It's eight, Henry!" Rika corrected.

"Oh right! That's another reason why I brought you and Miyako here." He winked. "Can you believe that we're eight years married?

"I know and I still can't believe it," Rika answered. "What could've happened if we didn't have the set-up before?"

"Most likely, I became an old bachelor." Henry chuckled.

"Impossible! A handsome guy like you will become an old bachelor?" Rika exclaimed with wide eyes. "Oh come on, Henry!"

"Yeah!" Henry said. "Believe me. Or better yet, I won't have two beautiful girls in my life. Happy eighth anniversary, Rika!"

"Happy eighth anniversary, Henry!" Rika returned. "Who would have thought that we could last longer than we expected?"

"Because relationships last longer when two people try their best to maintain and keep it," Henry assured as his left hand held Rika's right hand once again.

Rika already knew the motive behind Henry's sweet move so she giggled. "And we're one of them!"

At that very moment, their blue-haired daughter returned to their side while bringing eight pink cherry blossoms to them.

"Mommy! Daddy!" Miyako said cheerfully and gave her parents the cherry blossoms that she picked up. "For you!"

"What's this?" Henry asked dubiously while holding the cherry blossoms.

"My anniversary gift to you, Mommy and Daddy!" Miyako answered. "Daddy also told me that it's your special day today!"

"Aww! Thanks, Miyako!" Rika smiled. "You're so sweet! Just like Daddy!"

"Thanks too, Baby!" Henry smiled as well.

"You're welcome, Mommy and Daddy!" Miyako said sweetly.

Henry faced Rika and gave the cherry blossoms to her while Miyako saw this.

"Mommy? Daddy?" she said.

The couple simultaneously turned to face Miyako.

"What is it?" they asked simultaneously.

"You won't do this?" Miyako said and puckered her lips.

The couple was totally amused with what Miyako just did and laughed.

"You know?" Miyako asked and repeated her puckering of lips.

Rika bent forward and whispered something in Henry's ear. "What are you teaching Miyako this time, Henry Wong?"

"Nothing!" Henry stifled a laugh. "I guess she wants us to kiss like what she sees in the movies."

Rika shrugged and relented. She was already settling with a peck on Henry's cheek when she saw Miyako seated on the red cloth watching at them for a couple of minutes.

"Okay, Mommy! I'll leave you and Daddy alone!" Miyako giggled.

When their daughter stood up and left them, Henry and Rika laughed in amusement. They did not expect that Miyako could pick up things so easily.

"She's so funny!" Rika remarked and looked at Henry. "Just like you, Henry!"

"I know!" Henry chuckled and looked at Rika. "And I'm proud she got that!"

Eventually, Henry moved his face to meet Rika's and gently pressed his lips on hers. Rika's heartbeat started to quicken with love as their lips were now sealed over each other. Their lips brushed gently against each other for a few moments which sent a warm feeling throughout their bodies. Henry's right arm snaked around Rika's neck as he deepened the kiss while Rika slowly parted her lips to invite his tongue into her mouth and her right arm traveled on Henry's back. The couple sat on the grass kissing, both savoring their love on their eighth wedding anniversary. They both did not want to stop but the need for air forced them to do so and they broke away from each other slowly.

Now that both of them were apart, the two were already blushing like mad.

_Maybe it was destined that he became my new boss in order for us to become happy with each other for real and forever! _Rika thought as she looked at Henry who was now smiling at her.

"I love you, Mr. Henry Wong," Rika said to her husband. _"Aishite imasu."_

"I love you and you alone, Mrs. Rika Wong," Henry said to his wife. _"Wo ai ni."_

With this, the couple stood up and hugged each other for a few minutes. When they broke apart from each other, it happened that their blue-haired daughter was watching them already.

"Mommy! Daddy! You two are so cute!" she exclaimed in joy as she ran towards her parents.

"Really?" Henry asked as he scooped his daughter with his arms. He eventually carried her with Miyako near his left shoulder.

"Yeah!" Miyako said in glee.

"Come on, Miyako!" Rika smiled. "Let's go home now so you can play with your dolls! I think you're getting dirty now!"

"Your mommy's right, Miyako." Henry smiled.

"Okay." Miyako smiled. "But you have to play with me, Mommy!"

"Sure! Why not?" Rika chuckled.

Eventually, Henry put down Miyako on the ground while Rika took the red cloth as well as the picnic basket and placed it on her left arm. Miyako held Henry's left hand with her right hand while she held Rika's right hand with her left hand and the happy family walked hand-in-hand towards their car.


End file.
